Satisfied Cravings: Favorite recipes from cookbooks I've reviewed.
Chicken Breasts in Walnut and Pomegranate Molasses
Serves 6
| 2/3 pound walnut pieces |
| 3 split (6 pieces) chicken breasts (4 1/2 pounds), bone in and skin on |
| 7 tablespoons or more pomegranate molasses. (Use Cortas brand from Lebanon, available in many Middle Eastern food stores.) |
| Put walnuts in bowl of food processor and finely grind almost to a paste. In a large nonstick skillet, brown walnuts slowly over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Adjust heat so they don't burn but turn dark slowly. |
| After approximately 15 minutes, walnuts will be a deep chocolate color; remove from heat and place in a large, heavy pot, big enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer. |
| Wipe the large nonstickskillet clean with a paper towel. Add chicken breasts skin side down and brown both sides over medium heat until chicken is almost cooked through, about 10 minutes on each side. Season well with salt and freshly gound black pepper. |
| Meanwhile add 3 1/2 cups water to casserole with nuts. |
| When chicken is browned, remove along with pan juices that have accumulated and add to casserole. Bring to a boil, immediately lower heat, and simmer slowly until thickened, about 15 minutes. |
| Remove chicken with slotted spoon and continue cooking until sauce is thick; the time required will vary. |
| Once sauce is thick, add pomegranate molasses, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Cook over medium-high heat and reduce sauce for 5 minutes longer. |
| You will need to adjust seasonings to your liking. What you're looking for is a balance of salty, bitter, sour, and sweet. Play with the amounts of salt and pomegranate molasses. Return chicken to casserole and heat for a few minutes until hot. |
