Thank Prep time 15 min Cook time 20 min
Slices of poached chicken breast in a delicious and velvety ground walnut sauce.
A short while ago, I featured an Ottoman recipe for Yogurtlu Basti, a simple but delicious chicken dish with an unbelievably creamy and tasty sauce made from Greek yoghurt and ground cardamom. A childhood friend of mine, from my Cairo days, wrote to me to say how that recipe reminded her of another dish that is popular in Egypt and a big favorite of mine: Circassian Chicken.
The Circassians are a Caucasian ethnic group native to what was once Circassia on the Northeast shore of the Black Sea bordering Russia. They were brutally displaced in the course of the Russian conquest of the Caucasus in the 19th century and many fled to Egypt. They were well educated and became part of the country’s ruling elite serving in senior military, political and social positions.
Circassian Chicken has worked its way into Egyptian cuisine and whenever it was served at home, I distinctly remember always asking for an extra helping of the sauce that I love so much. It is a light, simple dish that takes about 35 minutes to prep and cook and is very versatile.
As a main course, serve the poached chicken breast sliced with its signature finely ground walnut sauce on bed of rice. For a richer meal try it with Egyptian Rice or Bulgur Wheat With Raisins And Pine Nuts.
You can also serve it at room temperature as a mezze alongside other small dishes. Just shred the chicken breast and serve it in the walnut sauce.
Circassian Chicken
by
Derek Farwagi
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 2 chicken Breasts
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cardamom pods (uncracked)
- ½ cup walnuts save a tbsp for garnish at the end
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 3-4 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
- 3 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- A generous pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
- salt and to taste
Instructions
- Add bay leaf, cardamon pods and 1/2 tsp salt to a saucepan of water and bring to a boil.
- Pat dry the chicken breasts and place in boiling water. Make sure they are completely submerged. Cover pan, remove from heat and set aside for 25 minutes or up to an hour.
- While the chicken is poaching, pulse walnuts in a blender till very fine.
- Add chicken stock and blend until you have a creamy sauce the texture of thick mayonaise. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, thoroughly mix crushed garlic and ground coriander seeds.
- In an 8 inch frying pan, heat 2 tbs olive oil on a medium/low heat. Add the crushed garlic and coriander seed mix and cook until flavors are released - about a minute.
- Remove pan from heat, add the creamed walnut sauce to this mixture, mix well, salt to taste and set aside in a bowl.
- Wipe pan, heat 1 tbs olive oil on a medium heat for a minute. Remove from heat and 1 tsp paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional).
- When the chicken is done ( when it’s juices run clear when pierced), slice each breast portion and lay the slices on a bed of rice. Pour the nut sauce over both the chicken and rice and decorate with a dribble of red oil. Granish with coarsely chopped walnuts.
Notes
- Given the recipe calls for the chicken breasts to be sliced, I cut one across at the thicker end after the chicken has sat in the hot water to make sure it is properly cooked but still juicy.
- If you are presenting the dish on serving platter for more guests, arrange the chicken pieces in the center of the serving dish. Surround them with a ring of cooked rice. Pour the nut sauce over both the chicken and the rice, and decorate with a dribble of red oil. Garnish with Coarsley chopped walnuts.
- For a richer meal serve with Egyptian Rice or Bulgur Wheat With Raisins And Pine Nuts.
Nutrition
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