Sorry I've been MIA

Okay! I've been MIA for the past week. Sorry.  I have "cooker's block" (if that's even the correct description... it's supposed to be a cross between writer and cook) Anyway, let me get situated and I'll come back with a recipe or more.  Or, maybe I'll just introduce you to a new ingredient to mess with.  Whichever the case, you will be happy you stumbled across this page.

Chicken Confit with Pomegranate-Onion Marmalade

 

Dear Rumi love,

I want to introduce you to the ingredients you see above.  They are all the components to a dish your great-grandmother, Mamon Moeeni, has made many times over for family gatherings.  

The chicken slow cooks in the honey, lemon juice, and pomegranate molasses to form sweet, tender meat that will make your mouth pucker for more.

Chicken confit with pomegranate-onion marmalade is my take on this Persian classic. You won't need an ounce of oil to prepare this. (extra calories to save for dessert!)

Confit is an ancient cooking method that involves slow cooking meat in its own fat and juices to ultimately preserve it.  It was a way to keep foods last longer before refrigeration.  

Ok, so this is what you'll need:

(1) small-medium whole chicken, rinsed and pat-dry

(4) cups (about 2 white onions) white onions, julienne

(5) cloves garlic, cut in half lengthwise

(1) cup lemon and/or lime juice (about 3-4 lemons)

(1) 8 oz. can of salt-free tomato sauce, plus water to rinse out can

(1/2) cup pomegranate molasses (concentrated pomegranate juice)

(1/2) cup honey

S/P to taste

Place the chicken in a dutch oven (or any heavy duty pot). You can also use a slow cooker set on low for 6+ hours.

Add all the above ingredients and generously S/P the chicken.

Cover.

On stovetop: cook on medium heat for about 3 + hours. Baste 3-4 times during cooking process.

Oven: Preheat oven to 325 and cook covered for about 3+ hours. Basting 3-4 times.

Add more water if necessary.

Do not add oil.

When chicken is done. Remove chicken from pot and set on serving platter.

 Place the pot on the stove top at medium high heat and bring the sauce to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.  Constantly stir with a wooden spoon so the fond (caramelized food bits) mix in.

The onions, garlic, and pomegranate sauce all marry and form a sweet, savory, and tart marmalade. 

Pour some of this marmalade onto the chicken. Reserve the rest in a small bowl to serve alongside.

This dish is typically served with Basmati-Saffron rice. (refer to my last blog on how to make saffron tea for rice)

 

When I finish making this, I like to think back and wonder if my great, great, great-grandmother would slave over this dish on an open flame, sitting on a stool with her hair pulled back in a silk scarf as she makes the pomegranate-onion marmalade for the chicken confit...a hungry husband waiting, and a village to feed...

Turkish Coffee (ghaveh Turk)

Dear Rumi joon,
By now you know how addicted I am to coffee. 
In fact, you know my mood changes from 0-10 after I drink my 2 cups in the morning. Hey! Don't judge. It's high in antioxidants! :)
Yes I know this blog is about all things Persian. And, you are half Chilean. So why am I blogging about Turkish coffee?  Because it's delicious. Because when I was in Iran I loved having a mid-afternoon coffee drink with a fortune at the end. And, because it's one of the oldest ways to prepare coffee and you know how I love "old traditions."

Here are the steps to making Turkish coffee.

For an average vessel you see in the picture above you will need:
(2)Tbsp. turkish coffee (all it is is super fine ground coffee).  (2) Tbsp. sugar (i like sugar in the raw) and (3) cups (as in the espresso cups you see in the photo) of filtered water. 



Place it all in the vessel over medium high heat and gently stir every minute or so until a it lightly simmers.









And, once a thick crema forms on top, it's ready to serve!

Pour evenly, back and forth between the (2) cups and sip it with love. 

 When you get to the coffee grounds it's time to flip the cup onto the saucer and then holding the cup and saucer flip toward your body and make a wish.  After a couple minutes upside down, it's time to get someone to read your fortune. Yes, fortune! When reading someone else's fortune it's important you only read their GOOD fortune and NOT misfortune.  Yes, it may be all fun and games to you, but some people (like me) take it seriously!

Can you read my fortune?

Zafaran

*The photo is copied from www.persiatours.com

Dear Rumi joon,
I want to give you my 101 on saffron. I say "my 101" because many people use this spice, but not many know how to truly use it for what it's worth.
I've seen saffron dumped whole, out of it's exotic tin, into a boiling pot of bouillabaisse. Or, even worse, I've seen chefs take a big pinch from the tin and carelessly throwing it into a pan of risotto with some landing on the stove top and being brushed off onto the mats of a busy line. *tear*
Why the tear? Well...
It wasn't until my second trip to Iran at the age of 8 that I learned how to appreciate and respect "zafaran." Your great-grandmother (mommy joon) was hosting a huge dinner party in honor of our visit. I woke up early the morning of the party to help her with all the preparations for the evening.
It was a feast. And with that feast came the use of a lot of saffron. She pulled out her special saffron tin, a mortar/pestle and showed me how to carefully grind the delicate stigmas against a few grains of sugar. So I did as she told me. When the stigmas were no longer and the powder was all over the edges of the mortar, I did what any 8 year old would do. I took in a deep breath and blew into the mortar!
My mommy joon laughed, and carefully brushed it off my face. But I knew, I knew inside she wished I hadn't done that. I probably had over $50 worth of saffron on my face, yet she continued with a new batch and we went on with the cooking.
That day, she taught me about the beauty of saffron and the respect one needs to give it in the kitchen.
She taught me...
Saffron is the stigma picked from the Crocus flower. Each Crocus flower produces about 3 stigmas. Because it is hand-picked from a delicate flower, it is the world's most expensive spice.

My mom and grandma have taught me to set aside a separate mortar/pestle for the use of saffron. One that is not porous at all. A ceramic one works best.
Here are the steps to prepare saffron for food preparation:

• Pinch of saffron (about 1/8 teaspoon)

• small pinch of sugar (you can use salt, but you may end up over salting your food)

• grind with your mortar/pestle till powdered. Tap to get the powder to the center of the mortar.

• Add 2 oz. of boiling water.

Let the saffron steep in the water to get a deep hue. You can always add more water if you want to dilute the color and flavor.
After about 1o minutes you have "saffron tea" that is ready to be mixed into any of your dishes.

This method not only lets you get a lot of use out of a small pinch, but I feel like this method truly respects the once living Crocus Sativus.

Saffron-Butter Poached Chicken

Dear Rumi joon,
I hope this recipe comes to you with ease when you want to impress your friends one day by making an exotic Persian dish minus the fuss. Why fuss you ask me? Well you see sweetie, Persians make everything complicated-especially cooking! Ask any grandmother for a recipe and their measurements involve "half an index finger of turmeric, 2 handfuls and a baby's toe of rice, and counting bubbles when you want to begin the simmering process".
So here's your Nanni joon's recipe that I tweaked over the years after carefully converting these measurements for the everyday household:

I like to use bone-in chicken thighs since it is less likely to dry, but you can use any cut.

(4) bone-in, skin less free range chicken thighs, washed, pat dry
(1) small onion, diced
(1) clove garlic, minced
(2.5) cups free range chicken stock
(3) tbsp olive oil
Half stick of unsalted butter
Teaspoon ground saffron infused in 1/4 cup boiling water for 10 min
S/P to taste

Heat the oil in a heavy bottom braising pan, or deep skillet on medium high heat.
S/P both sides of chicken and sear both sides. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, sauté the onions and garlic just till translucent.
Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock and scrape using a wooden spoon.
Simmer for 10 minutes and add the seared chicken.
Liquid should just barely cover chicken. Add water if needed. Reduce to medium heat.
Cover and cook for 30 min.
Stir in the butter and saffron. Reduce heat to medium low and lightly simmer for 15-20 min. This will also create a silky saffron butter sauce.
Serve chicken on a pillow of fragrant basmati rice with the sauce lightly poured over.
nousheh joon (Bon a petite)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad