I gotta be quick. Busy day. I never do food posts like this anymore.
Last night I made Persian chicken. I started with a petite Rocky chicken. My problem with ethically sourced chickens is often they are also huge, and so they cost like 20 bucks. The Davis co-op has some small ones, which was exactly what I needed. I got the dude to quarter it, and browned it in two batches in olive oil, 4 minutes to a side.
Here's a Lilliputian portion of saffron, more precious than gold.
This doesn't look that pretty, but if this blog had smell-o-vision you'd be in heaven. It's onions, smashed garlic cloves, walnuts, and raisins being sauteed in olive oil and chicken fat.
Then you add pomegranate juice, chicken broth, cardamom, saffron, a cinnamon stick, a big piece of lime zest (or a dried lime if you have it), and the recipe called for allspice berries but I did not have any. Bring to a boil, then put the chicken back in. Then put into the oven at 350. Take out the breasts at 35 minutes, then the thighs after 15 more, then boil the sauce down thoroughly, add a little red wine vinegar to up the acidity and voila. It's fall off the bone at that point.
I have been so stoked on dates for a while. They are a miracle food. This is an escarole salad with bacon, dates, toasted walnuts, and a warm dressing made of bacon fat and red wine vinegar. Just a little fat! You have to eat it ASAP or it will start to congeal.
Here's the wine I drank it with. It's a pineau d'aunis. I got it at Terroir. 22 bucks and it's delicious.
Brown food doesn't photograph well. I served it with quinoa rather than couscous.
7 comments:
To quote Junie B. Jones: WOWIE-WOW-WOW!!!
That is quite the recipe -- and I will try it out next time I can affrord saffron. I've never been fond of dates, frankly. And prefer couscous, myself. But thank you for passing this on, especially with the photos showing how you prepared it.
To quote Spenser: "Yum yum!"
Take care,
J.
that's some fluffy quinoa!
NM
dates are delicious! i've had a date smoothie for breakfast the last two mornings in a row.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/BANANA-DATE-SMOOTHIE-50045394
That's so true about the chicken. The ones we get from Cache Creek Farms are like 6.99/lb I think. Crazy! Taylor's has Mary's chickens...you can get smaller ones and I think they're reasonable.
-GFunkNelson
That wine was totally off the vine!
-miller
I don't understand saffron. I need you to help me understand it. It sits in my spice rack. I pick it up. Admire how much the person who left it in the spice rack before me paid for it, i scratch my head. Its like an enigma trapped in a puzzle trapped in a little red jar. I know I should check google, but I would prefer to ask you.
Thank you,
Flummoxed in Sacramento
Well, saffron has a wonderful, complex flavor unlike anything else on earth, which can also taste a little like plastic in a weird way, and it has a beautiful color. Just add it to some rice!
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