Circassian Chicken

La storia di questo piatto

Çerkez Tavuğu carries the memory of Circassian exiles who crossed the Caucasus mountains and settled into the heart of the Ottoman empire, bringing with them the walnut groves of their lost homeland — a dish born from displacement, transformed by longing into something achingly beautiful.

Ingredienti

• 1 kg Whole chicken
• 250 g Shelled walnuts
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1.5 teaspoons Smoked paprika
• 100 g Crumbled white bread
• 250 ml Chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 fruit Lemon
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 0.5 teaspoon Ground white pepper
• 1 medium Onion
• 2 leaves Bay leaf
• 50 g Pomegranate seeds
• 2 tablespoons Fresh parsley

Preparazione

1. Place the whole chicken in the largest pot you have, along with the onion, bay leaf, and enough cold water to cover it generously. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then immediately lower the flame and let it simmer gently and slowly: this way the meat stays tender instead of becoming tough and stringy. You'll know it's ready when you insert a skewer into the thigh and the juice that runs out is clear and completely transparent.
2. Remove the chicken from the broth and let it cool for a few minutes, just long enough so you can touch it without burning your fingers. Then shred it apart with your hands, which is always the best way to feel through it and remove every bit of skin and every hidden little bone. Don't throw away the broth: strain it through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside 250 milliliters of it—this is the secret that will give soul and flavor to your sauce.
3. Place the walnuts in a dry skillet with no oil, and warm them over medium heat while frequently stirring and moving the pan around: they'll come alive and release a hazelnut fragrance that's absolutely unmistakable. As soon as they're golden and fragrant, take them off the heat and pound them thoroughly fine in a mortar, or blend them together with the garlic, the crumbled bread, and the smoked paprika until you have a mixture that's almost sandy in texture.
4. Now soften this walnut paste by pouring the warm chicken broth over it little by little: stir with patience, as if you were whipping cream, and you'll see it gradually dissolve and become silky smooth. Add the oil in a thin stream, the lemon juice, salt and pepper, and keep stirring until the sauce coats the spoon beautifully—thick but still flowing. Always taste as you go: it should be enveloping and rich, never too acidic and never too salty.
5. Arrange the shredded meat on a wide serving platter, spreading it out well so it doesn't clump into a single block. Pour the walnut sauce generously over it, using the back of the spoon to help it glide into every corner, so each strand of chicken gets dressed thoroughly with flavor.
6. Cover the platter and let it rest in the refrigerator: the cold will help the sauce set, and the flavors will have time to get to know each other and embrace properly. Just before bringing it to the table, garnish it with pomegranate seeds that burst with sweetness, a dusting of smoked paprika for color, and a handful of fresh parsley chopped at the last moment, which adds that bright green note and a sense of life.