Orange Khoresh (Khoresh-e porteqal)
Makes 6 servings
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Ingredients
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 pounds chicken legs, cut up
1/3 cup oil
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons slivered orange or tangerine peel with bitterness removed, page 378
1 teaspoon advieh (Persian spice mix, page 376)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed
orange juice
2 large carrots
4 oranges
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
Garnish
2 teaspoons slivered pistachios
2 teaspoons slivered almonds
Directions
1. In a Dutch oven, brown onions and chicken pieces in 3 tablespoons
oil, sprinkle in 1 tablespoon flour and mix well. Add orange or
tangerine peel, advieh, salt, and pepper. Pour in the orange juice.
Cover and simmer for 35 minutes.
2. Scrape the carrots and slice into thin slivers. Saute in 2
tablespoons oil for a few minutes. Add the carrot to the chicken,
cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Peel the oranges, separate them into segments, and peel the membrane from each segment.
4. In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, lime juice, sugar, and saffron
water. Mix well and simmer for 10 minutes over low heat. Remove from
heat and add the orange segments and set aside to macerate for 10
minutes.
5. Transfer the stew to a deep ovenproof casserole, carefully arrange
the orange segments with the sauce on the top, cover and place in an
warm oven until ready to serve.
6. Check to see if the chicken is tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more sugar or lime juice according to your taste.
7. Just before serving, sprinkle the stew with slivered pistachios and
almonds. Serve hot from same dish with chelow. Nush-e Jan!
Variations: Canned orange segments or tangerines in syrup may be
substituted for fresh oranges and sugar. This dish may also be made
without carrots.
Recipe excerpted from New Food of Life: Ancient Persian & Modern Iranian Cooking & Ceremonies or Silk Road Cooking: a Vegetarian Journey by Najmieh Batmanglij.