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KOSHER DELIGHT - YOUR JEWISH ONLINE MAGAZINE!
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KOSHER PASSOVER RECIPES |
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IRANIAN STUFFED CHICKEN WITH FRESH GREEN HERBS
AND GOLDEN SOUP MEAT. |
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Yield: 4-8 Services |
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INGREDIENTS: |
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STUFFING
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- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ cups finely chopped onions
- 1½ tbsp cumin seeds, crushed with mortar and pestle or
coarsely ground in a spice mill (for extra flavor, lightly
toast the seeds until fragrant before crushing).
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed well
- ½ cup yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed well
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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CHICKEN
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- A large roasting chicken, 4-7 pounds (neck, liver, and
giblets removed and reserved for another use).
- Enough fresh, cold water to cover the bird (if you use
bottled water for coffee or tea use it here)
- Salt
- 1 large onion, peeled and cut in half
- 2 medium celery stalks, preferable with leaves
- 1 cup chickpeas, picked over, rinsed and soaked
overnight (optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 tsp turmeric
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TO SERVE WITH
CHICKEN |
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An assortment of fresh herbs, including these:
basil, mint, tarragon, cilantro, scallions
Small red
radishes
Herb blossoms or other edible flowers (optional) |
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INSTRUCTIONS: |
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- Start the stuffing. In a wide, 3-quart saucepan, warm the olive
oil. Add the onions and sauté them over moderate t heat, stirring
occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until they are softened and
just beginning to turn pale gold. Don't brown them. Add the cumin
and turmeric and stir for 2-3 minutes, until they become very
fragrant. Add the rice and split peas, and stir to coat them with
the onions and oil. Add 3 cups cold water, about 1¾ tsp salt, and
pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, over very
low heat for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
Remove the pot from the heat.
- You'll need a thin cotton cloth to enclose the stuffing. I
prefer an inexpensive, large white cotton men's handkerchief, but
a piece of clean cotton sheeting (that has been washed in
unscented laundry detergent), premade muslin soup bag (sold in
some kitchenware supply stores), or a double thickness of
good-quality cheesecloth will also work well. spoon the stuffing
onto the center of the cloth and mold it into a rough oblong shape
about 8 by 5 inches. Pull the cloth over the stuffing to enclose
it completely. Twist the ends and tie them and the middle closed
with kitchen string, allowing a little extra room for the stuffing
to expand.
- Using kitchen shears, cut through the chicken along the
backbones if butterflying it, or have the butcher do it. Remove as
much loose fat as possible and rinse the chicken well with cold
water. Spread the chicken OPEN and place the bag of stuffing
inside it. Fold the chicken over the stuffing to enclose it, then
tie the chicken closed with a light truss. That will make it
easier to turn the chicken if needed, and to remove it from the
pot. Place the chicken on the bottom of a stockpot (about an
8-quart for a small bird;10-12-quart for an extra-large chicken).
Add water to cover it and about 1 tsp salt. Bring to a strong
simmer, but don't allow the water to boil.
- As the chicken cooks, skim off all the froth and scum that rises
to the surface. After the water begins to simmer gently, continue
skimming for 15-20 minutes, until very few impurities come to the
surface, then add the onion, celery, optional chickpeas, a few
grinds of pepper, and about 1 tsp turmeric. The water now should
be a light, golden yellow (it will turn burnished gold later from
the chicken juices). You may need to add up to ½ tsp more
turmeric, especially if your chicken is large and required a lot
of water to cover it. Bring the water back to a strong simmer,
skimming occasionally, then partially cover the pot and reduce the
heat to very low. The bubbles should be breaking slowly and
silently along the surface; do not let the soup boil or the
chicken will be tough. Check occasionally to make sure the chicken
is completely covered with liquid If there is not enough liquid to
cover it, don't add more water - that will dilute the soup too
much. Instead, turn the chicken carefully from time to time, so
all sides are gently bathed in liquid during most of the cooking.
- Poach the chicken for 1 to 2 hours (depending on the size of the
bird), until its juices run clean when the thigh is pierced with a
thin metal skewer or long-pronged fork.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the herb accompaniment. If
the basil leaves are large or the stems thick, pull off the leaves
and discard the stems. Trim off any hard or woody stems from the
mint, and trim the cilantro and tarragon. Cut off the bearded
roots and about 2-3 inches of the dark green ends from the
scallions, then sliver the scallions lengthwise. Trim the radishes
and thinly slice them. Set out the herbs and the radishes
decoratively in a basket lined with a pretty napkin or on a
platter. If you have any herb blossoms or other edible flowers,
like nasturtiums, violets, Johnny jump-ups, or borage flowers,
intersperse the among the green herbs for a striking presentation.
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To serve the chicken, carefully
transfer the chicken to a warm serving platter. I find it easiest
to do this by grabbing on to the trussing string with tongs, and
holding a plate or very wide, sturdy spatula directly under the
chicken with the other hand, while a second set of hands stands at
the ready with the platter. Discard the trussing string and remove
and discard the chicken skin, leaving the meat on the bones.
Arrange the chicken attractively on the platter. Untie the bag and
scoop out the stuffing, mounding it in the middle of the chicken.
Spoon a little hot broth over everything to moisten it, and tuck a
few clusters of herbs around the chicken and stuffing as
garnish.Or
slice the chicken off the bone (after discarding the skin), and
place in warmed, shallow soup bowls. Spoon some of the stuffing
around the chicken and arrange a few sprigs of herbs artfully on
top. Ladle about a half cup of steaming broth over
everything. |
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To eat the chicken, take some herbs
in hand: a strip of scallion and a couple of tarragon leaves, for
instance. Then, still using your hands, pull off a small piece of
chicken and roll the herbs around it. If you'd like, sprinkle with
a few grains of coarse salt before popping the little packet in
the mouth. |
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If you have added chickpeas, taste one for tenderness after
removing the chicken, and if needed, simmer the broth a little longer
until the peas are done. Discard the onion and the
celery. If you are serving the broth and chickpeas
as prelude to or alongside the chicken: Tent the chicken and stuffing
with aluminum foil to keep them warm as you defat the broth. Use an
inexpensive grave separator to remove the fat. Or scoop out the
chickpeas, using a perforated ladle, and place them in a lagre bowl.
Line a fine mesh sieve with two to three layers of dampened paper
toweling or with coffee filters and fit the sieve over the bowl.
Slowly pour the broth through the sieve into the bowl, trapping the
pot before reheating the soup. Because the bag of stuffing
adds quite a bit of volume to the contents of the pot, necessitating
more water than usual to cover the ingredients, you may need to reduce
the broth somewhat to concentrate the flavors. Boil uncovered over
high heat to the desired strength. Adjust the salt and pepper. Serve
the broth with the chickpeas in warmed shallow serving bowls garnished
with chopped fresh herbs and some of the poached chicken,
shredded. If you are serving the broth at another meal: Allow it
to cool, uncovered, to room temperature, then chill in the
refrigerator until the fat congeals in a layer on top. When ready to
serve, spoon off the fat and discard it. Reheat the broth until piping
hot. Reduce if needed and adjust the seasoning. |
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Source: The Gefilte Variations by Jayne Cohen |
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KOSHER DELIGHT MAGAZINE
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