Chicken & turkey

Chicken Fesenjan

Name: Chicken Fesenjan
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 800g chicken thigh fillets, halved; 200g walnuts; 2 (300g) onions, finely chopped; 120ml pomegranate molasses; 10g (2 tsp) light brown sugar; 3g (1 tsp) ground cinnamon; 2g ground turmeric; 1g black pepper; 15ml rapeseed oil; 1 cube chicken stock cube; 500ml water

Persian chicken thighs in a rich, sweet-sour sauce of toasted ground walnuts and pomegranate molasses with onion, cinnamon and turmeric.

makes 20 blocks, about 51p each

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Illustration of a bowl of Chicken Fesenjan

Time: 1 hr 25 min15 min prep · 1 hr 10 min cook
Makes: 20 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 51p
Calories per blockCalories: 151 kcal
Fibre per blockFibre: 1g

Ingredients

Batch size

blocks

800gchicken thigh fillets, halved
200gwalnuts
2 (300g)onions, finely chopped
120mlpomegranate molasses
10g (2 tsp)light brown sugar
3g (1 tsp)ground cinnamon
2gground turmeric
1gblack pepper
15mlrapeseed oil
1 cubechicken stock cube
500mlwater

Allergens: Tree nuts. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

GF
DF
NUTS

Nutrition

estimated

	1 block	3 blocks
Energy	151 kcal	453 kcal
Protein	9.2g	27.6g
Carbs	6.9g	20.7g
Fat	9.9g	29.7g
Fibre	1g	3g
Salt	0.31g	0.93g

Method

Step 1: Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until fragrant, then cool and blitz to a fine, damp meal in a food processor. (8 min)
Step 2: Heat the oil in a large casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the chicken in two batches. Lift out. (10 min)
Step 3: Soften the onions in the same pan over a medium heat until golden (10 min), then add the turmeric, cinnamon and pepper for 1 minute.
Step 4: Stir in the ground walnuts for 2 minutes, then add the water and stock cube. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce darkens and a little oil rises from the walnuts.
Step 5: Stir in the pomegranate molasses and sugar, return the chicken and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring often, until the chicken is tender and the sauce is thick and dark brown.
Step 6: Taste and balance with a little more molasses or sugar, then cool and freeze in 70g blocks.

Serve it

Saffron rice or plain basmati · Flatbread with a herb and cucumber salad · Rice with a spoon of yoghurt

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	151	9.2g	6.9g	9.9g	1g	0.31g
Per 3 blocks	453	27.6g	20.7g	29.7g	3g	0.93g

Cook’s notes

Pomegranate molasses brands vary in sharpness, so hold back the last 20ml and add it at the end to taste.
Stir often towards the end: the walnut sauce catches easily.
Grated butternut squash, about 200g added with the water, makes a lighter, slightly sweeter sauce.

Serve it

Saffron rice or plain basmati · Flatbread with a herb and cucumber salad · Rice with a spoon of yoghurt.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 453 kcal and 27.6g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Chicken Fesenjan questions

Why does the walnut sauce simmer for so long?

Long, gentle cooking draws the oil out of the walnuts and turns the sauce from beige to a deep brown, making it rich and smooth. Rushing it leaves the sauce pale and gritty.

Is it meant to be sweet or sour?

Both, and families make it differently: some like it sharp, others sweeter. Taste at the end and add more pomegranate molasses for a sharper sauce or a little more sugar for a sweeter one.

Can I make it vegetarian?

Use 800g roasted butternut squash or aubergine chunks in place of the chicken and a vegetable stock cube. Add the roasted vegetables for the last 10 minutes only, so they hold their shape.