Circassian Chicken

La storia di questo piatto

Çerkez Tavuğu carries the quiet memory of the Circassian kitchens that once met Ottoman tables, where poached chicken and ground walnuts became a dish of humble elegance. It is comfort wearing a noble robe — simple poultry transformed by patience and nuts into something that tastes like inherited hospitality.

Ingredienti

• 1.4 kg Whole chicken
• 150 g Shelled walnuts
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 teaspoons Sweet paprika, unsmoked (for the sauce)
• 50 g White bread, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil (for the sauce)
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil, or melted butter as in the Turkish version (for the red oil)
• 1 teaspoon Sweet paprika, unsmoked, or pul biber (for the red oil)
• 0.5 fruit Lemon (juice)
• 1 teaspoon Fine sea salt (for the sauce)
• 1 tablespoons Coarse sea salt (for the cooking broth)
• 0.5 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium Onion
• 2 leaves Bay leaf
• 50 g Pomegranate (seeds)
• 2 tablespoons Fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparazione

1. Place the whole chicken in the largest pot you have, with the onion, bay leaf, and 1 tablespoon coarse salt. Cover generously with cold water, submerging the chicken by at least 4–5 cm, so that you obtain at least 600–700 ml of broth at the end of cooking for the sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately lower the heat and simmer gently, skimming if necessary. The chicken is done when a skewer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh yields clear juices and the meat separates easily from the bone (the internal temperature should reach approximately 75°C). For a 1.4 kg chicken, allow about 60 minutes.
2. Remove the chicken from the broth and let it cool for a few minutes until you can handle it without burning yourself. Shred it by hand, discarding skin and small bones. Strain the cooking broth through a fine-mesh sieve: you should obtain at least 500 ml, enough to soak the bread and to make the sauce. If the broth is insufficient, extend it with a little warm water until you reach the required volume. Let it cool to lukewarm (it should not be boiling when you use it).
3. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let them cool completely on a plate: if you blend them while warm, they release oil and the sauce may separate. Meanwhile, soak the crumbled bread in 100 ml of lukewarm broth for 2–3 minutes. Then blend the walnuts with the garlic, soaked bread, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika (unsmoked), and half a teaspoon fine salt until you obtain a fine, crumbly mixture.
4. With the blender running (or stirring vigorously), gradually incorporate additional warm broth into the walnut paste, starting with 150 ml beyond the 100 ml already absorbed by the bread, for a total of about 250 ml, and adding more broth only as needed, until you achieve a smooth, thick but pourable cream, similar to a soft béchamel. Add 2 tablespoons oil and the pepper. If you wish a note of brightness, add the juice of half a lemon, gradually and to taste (optional, not traditional). Taste and adjust salt with the remaining half teaspoon fine salt at the end.
5. Dress the shredded chicken with about half of the sauce, tossing well with your hands or two forks. Spread it on a wide serving platter and cover with the remaining sauce, smoothing it with the back of a spoon.
6. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter, as in the traditional Turkish version) in a small saucepan over low heat, turn off the heat, and add 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, unsmoked (or pul biber): stir for a few seconds without burning it, to make the red oil. Set aside at room temperature.
7. Resting (passive time): Cover the platter with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes so the flavors meld. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving: it should be enjoyed chilled but not ice-cold.
8. Just before serving, drizzle the red oil over the sauce and garnish with pomegranate seeds and freshly chopped parsley.