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Khoresh’e Fesenjan, a stew, a thick sauce, made from ground walnuts[1] and pomegranate[2] juice or concentrate, traditionally cooked with duck, is one of the oldest recipes of Persian cuisine. It is considered a decadent dish served at celebrations or for very special guests. Also, it is a symbol of well developed recipes, based on the concept of “hot & cold“, a food attribute (not temperature) which goes back millenniums. In this case, pomegranate, which is a ‘cold food’ balances the volume of walnuts, which is a ‘hot food’. As healthy as walnuts are, too much ‘hot food’ may cause skin irritations to some. Too much ‘cold food’ also has side-effects, and balanced by walnuts. Fesenjan, with its elegant sweet-and-sour flavor, is a favorite khoresh of everyone I know!
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[1] Walnuts (gerdu in Farsi/Persian) originated in Iran, date back as far as 7000 B.C. Walnuts are commonly called ‘Persian’ or ‘English’ walnuts. The English walnut originated from Iran through parts of India and was later brought to America. And then, there is black walnut, which is native to North America, particularly the central Mississippi Valley and Appalachian area. Black walnuts were a staple in diets and lifestyles of both Native Americans and early colonial settlers.
– Today, China is the number one producer of walnuts, followed by Iran and then the USA.
[2] Pomegranate (anar in Farsi) originated in a region of Iran and has been cultivated since ancient times throughout the Mediterranean and northern India. Records mention pomegranate from the
mid-third millennium B.C. (3300 B.C.) onward. It was introduced into Spanish America in the late 16th century and California by Spanish settlers in 1769.
– Before tomatoes, a New World fruit, arrived in the Middle East, pomegranate juice, and vinegar were widely used in many Iranian foods, and are still found in traditional recipes such as fesenjān, and in ash’e anar/pomegranate soup.
– To this date, Iran still holds first place in the world in production of pomegranate.
Khoresh'e Fesenjan ba Morghabi • خورش فسنجان با مرغابی • Walnut and Pomegranate Stew with Duck
Recipe by: Fae’s Twist & Tango (fae-magazine.com)
INGREDIENTS
• 1.1 ~ 1.5 Kg/ 2.5 ~ 3 lb duck, cut in segments (or chicken, beef, lamb cut in large chunks)
. . – 2.4 kg/ 5.3 lb frozen duck after skin & partial bones removed,
. . . yield 1.5 Kg/3 lb meat
. . – chicken meat is more economical – skinless, boneless thigh meat will have the least
. . . hassle and is best… breast meat is fine too, but when overcooked, it shreds
. . – my mother always served fesenjan with meatballs (ground beef kneaded with
. . . grated onion, salt, pepper, turmeric, rolled into walnut size and partially cooked
. . . before added to the stew)
• vegetable oil
• 300 g/ 1 medium-large onion, diced
• 360 g/ 3 cups very finely ground walnuts
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 650 ml/ 2¾ cups water
• 1 bay-leaf
• 350 ml/ 1½ cups pomegranate concentrate (if using pomegranate molasses, sugar may be added to reduce sourness)
DIRECTIONS
◊ Use flat wooden spatula for all steps.
◊ In a deep, non-stick, medium-large pot (deeper the better to avoid splashes – I used 24cm dia x 18 cm deep/ 9½”x7″), pour and heat 3 Tbsp vegetable oil on medium-high heat, sear all sides of the duck pieces. Take out of the pot and set aside.
◊ In the same pot (keep the fond if not burnt), add more oil if needed to make 3 Tbsp. Sautée diced onion until golden-brown on all edges.
◊ Lower heat to medium. Add ground walnuts to the fried onion, stir and continue to dry sautée for 1 minute (no more), watch not to burn walnut pieces.
◊ Lower heat to medium-low. Sprinkle turmeric, salt, add water, bay-leaf and stir. Put the lid on and simmer for 15 minutes. To avoid coagulation, every 5 minutes (or more often as needed), using the flat wooden spatula, insert from side and push scraping bottom of the pot.
◊ Submerge seared duck pieces. Put on lid and continue simmering for 10 minutes more. Check every 5 minutes to avoid coagulation and scrape bottom of the pot with the wooden spatula.
◊ Add pomegranate concentrate, lift the pot and rotate to mix contents. Lower the heat to low (lower if possible) and simmer the stew for another
1 hour (longer if using chunk beef, until tender).
– Not necessary to add any other spices, including saffron. It really does not make that much difference for this stew and it is waste of your valuable saffron and spices.
– Check every 10 minutes to avoid coagulation. Use the flat wooden spatula to scrape the bottom from one side to the other (don’t stir) to keep meat from falling apart.
– At indication of walnut oil beginning to separate on top, it means the stew is getting ready. If the stew is too watery, this process will take even longer. Turn off heat and let stew sit for 30 minutes. Approximately 4 Tbsp of oil will rise to the top and may be skimmed (walnut oil being healthy, some use the oil for other cooking). Yield 3½ cups sauce without meat.
– Due to its health/energy benefits, traditionally, the oil was never skimmed and was served as is.
– Leave a little bit of the oil on the stew, so it will maintain its consistency and keep the sauce from getting too thick.
◊ Serve in a deep serving bowl/dish. Khoresh is almost always served with Persian rice/ polo.
◊ OPTION: For vegetarian/vegan, skip the meat and add vegan bullion. Some add caramelized, cubed butternut squash to the stew.
~ Noushe jan • نوش جان ~
Fesenjan with rice/polo and tah-dig
A few important points in making an outstanding Persian khoresh:
♦ Don’t skimp on oil… use as much as needed for frying/sautéing. Boiling oil also cooks and adds flavor. It can be skimmed off before serving.
♦ Brown/sear onion and meat very well.
♦ Adding 1/16 ~ 1/8 tsp of ground saffron, dissolved in 1 Tbsp hot water, will substantially add to taste. (Skip for fesenjan.)
♦ Don’t use too much water for cooking, just enough to steam and condense. –Simmer on low heat for a long time. This helps flavor fusion of ingredients.
♦ Best if stew is made a day in advance and refrigerated for taste to meld.
♦ Almost all stews can be frozen. Exception: If stew includes potato(es), potato pieces to be removed before freezing.
♦ There are red* stews (using tomato paste) and green* stews (using herbs). Garnishing red stews sparingly with caramelized onion before serving not only further enhances taste but visually enhances the dish.
* Slang: ‘red’ and ‘green’ are used to specify types of stews or mixed rices, using tomato paste (Pomegranate sauce) vs. herbs respectively. This concept also helps host/hostess plan an event menu and serve a balance of reds and greens.
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So, what’s cooking in your kitchen?
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Hi Fae, this looks like something I’d love to try for my first Persian dish.
Is it possible to use fresh pomegranates?
Hi Stefan, Excellent pick! Absolutely! For millenniums, Persians have used fresh pomegranate juice to make their sauce for the stew. Straight pomegranate juice is condensed (by boiling) until it becomes the consistency of flowing honey, maybe to about 1/6 ~ 1/8 of the juice. For this recipe volume, you may need 2 ~ 3 liters of pomegranate juice. Depending on pomegranate, it may turn quite sour (like straight cranberry juice). That is when you’ll adjust the sourness to your taste by adding sugar. Fesenjan is always served with Persian rice if it is served as pouring over rice stew. Food for thought… I have also served a little bit of the (walnut-pomegranate) sauce as a side-sauce to go with meats. As the Japanese say, I’ll ‘elongate my neck’ looking forward to your post. 😀 )))
What a interesting (and absolutely stunning) dish! Would never have thought to use pomegranate with duck but it sounds really good 🙂
Hello Petra, I’m so glad you find the dish interesting. Yes, it truly has a uniquely decadent flavor. 🙂
What a great, interesting post, Fae. You not only shared a wonderful recipe for stew but you included a little history of its main ingredients. I didn’t realize that both pomegranate and walnuts originated in Iran. No wonder this stew sounds so tasty. Experience makes for better dishes. 🙂
Hello John, I agree. I am so intrigued by food history and how it came about. In many cases, the history brings us/world closer and gives us an insight of who we were and what made us who we are. 🙂
What a great saucy stew–looks delicious and has so many healthy ingredients!
Hi Nancy, Yes, it has healthy ingredients and very uniquely delicious flavor that goes so well with basmati rice’s taste and aroma. 🙂
Oh wow Fae, this is over the top decadence! I love the combination of flavors, and look at that rich, thick sauce, to die for!! I’ve never cooked duck before, and I keep telling myself that I’ll have to change that pretty soon. Too bad they don’t sell it fresh in any of the grocery stores I’ve frequented. This is such a wonderful recipe, so festive for Thanksgiving!
Hi Loretta, I’m so glad you find this stew decadent. Duck is very delicious, but it is mostly thick fatty skin covering the breast meat with smaller legs/thighs in ratio. I think that is why it works best for ‘Peking duck’. 😀 I think duck works best when roasted crispy (skin). With chicken works economical and easier to handle too. When my Mother was with us, for Thanksgiving, my sister roasted the turkey and Mother made fesenjan with beef meatballs. 😛
What a delicious sounding stew Fae. Slow cooking always seems to increase the depth of flavor of any recipe.
You are absolutely right, Judi. In this case, slow cooking also softens the walnut pieces and makes the sauce very smooth. 🙂
It’s been such a long time since I have had or made fesenjan. It is the royalty of all the Persian stews. I made it once with duck and it’s wonderful but usually just used chicken. Have saved your recipe, it’s been so many years I have forgotten how to make it. It’s such an elegant and delicious dish. You are so good at writing recipes, you explain everything so well.
Thank you, Suzanne. Indeed it is a royalty of the Persian stews. Fesenjan is not a difficult dish to make comparing to some of the other Persian khoreshs. Enjoy! 🙂
One of my Turkish friend gave me a bottle of pomegranate sauce and I use to season bulgur or salads, never thought to use it for the meat!!! That’s awesome!
Hi Margherita, Yes, it has multi use. I love it in salad dressing and sometimes as seasoning for a dish. You need a third to half of bottle for fesenjan. 😀 )))
I am happy to have this recipe from you to replace my old one. Some very helpful tips there too.
Hi Hilda, I’m glad you liked my recipe. Since you know fesenjan, I don’t need to further promote it. 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! 🙂
It looks incredible Fae. I adore the flavors of the duck and the pomegranate, may try this some time! 🙂
Duck is definitely more delicious than chicken. In my neighborhood market, I only can get frozen whole duck. By the time it is skinned and partially de-boned, not even third of the weight remains. If feasible at your market, it is best to buy thighs/legs. If not, as an alternative, chicken is more beneficial. In Iran, most of the home-cooks buy fresh pomegranate, juice them and make concentrate. But these days, store bought concentrates are perfect alternative.
Fae , this looks great. I like the idea of walnuts and pomegranates to make a sauce. The flavors must be incredible . Have a great Thanksgiving,
Thank you, Gerlinde! Yes, it really is a delightful decadent combination. 🙂
Interesting to learn about the ‘Hot’ and ‘Cold’ foods and finding the balance using both within a dish. This sounds like a beautifully balanced and quite exotic stew, Fae – I can understand why it is served on special occasions and deemed a favourite by many!
It really is, Margot! If you look closely at almost any of the traditional cuisines, you’ll see the wisdom of creating healing foods. 🙂
Fae, You’re right Fesenjoon is also on the top of my favorites list. Thank you for the wonderful cultural background and the amazing recipe
Started as a very finicky eater, who now eats everything, my husband LOVES all Persian foods. But when it comes to fesenjan, he is extra over joyed. I don’t know why I don’t make it more often. 😀 )))
Looks amazing! I love these slow cooked sweet-sour stews. They have such depth of flavors.
Thank you, Chef Ronit! I think that is exactly what makes Persian khoreshs/stew so popular. Slow-cooked to give depth and fusion of the ingredients. 🙂
Thanks for the cultural background information! Every time I learn something by reading your recipe.
Hi Chris, I’m glad that you find my posts educational. That is the fund of blogging… especially of food!
Happy Thanksgiving, Young Man! 🙂
Smashing dish, Fae! The combination of walnuts and pomegranates is simply delicious and complemets the duck perfectly!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
“Smashing” is a perfect description! 😀 ))) The combination truly brings heavenly, satisfying taste.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Sweet Francesca!
Fae, this is wonderful. I love fesenjan, though I’ve only had the chicken version (I do make a duck and pomegranate stew, but without walnuts), but your stew has a much deeper color, and I bet it tastes way better than mine. I’ll be coming back to this recipe the next time I want to make it! I didn’t know there was such a thing as “black walnuts” in America; here in France there are many different varieties of walnuts, I wonder how closely they are related to Persian varieties. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Hi Darya, Oh yes, your Canard à la grenade, which you recently posted on your FB too. Very similar looking stew. Although duck is more delicious than chicken, because duck has very little meat to offer (mostly thick fatty skin… good for Peking duck though 😀 ), the next popular meat used is chicken. However, you can used any meat of your preference. Please share the photo when you make your version of fesenjan with walnuts.
Based on history I read, varieties of walnuts in Europe are all decedents of Persian walnut trees. 🙂
Certainly looks decadent and so, so delicious Fae!! YUM!
Thank you, Naina! It is a treat I make couple of times a year, especially at this time of the year. 🙂