13010 Serves 8 Wed Aug 06 08:17:39 -0700 2008 Tue Feb 03 10:24:11 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/13010 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 18:24:11 GMT This unique dish comes from the Tabriz region of northwestern Iran, near Azerbaijan. Originally the dish was made with an egg, fruit, and nut stuffed game hen encased in a meat and pea mixture. It was then sautéed, like a large meatball. The method offered here, using a pounded chicken breast, is much easier to prepare and allows for better portion control and presentation. A pounded chicken breast is stuffed and then encased in a forcemeat mixture. This parcel is then baked and served with a pan juice–enriched tomato sauce.

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Combine the spices for the ground spice mix and mix well. Store in an airtight container and reserve. (The spice mix can be made several days in advance, but it is most aromatic if used immediately.)

Simmer the rice in the chicken stock with the turmeric for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve the rice. (The rice can be prepared one day in advance.)

Combine the puréed split peas, lamb, onion, tomato paste, and chicken stock in the bowl of a mixer and knead for 5 minutes.

Add the leeks, fennel tops, beaten egg yolk, spice mix, and salt to the meat mixture and stir well to combine. Reserve. (The forcemeat can be made one day in advance.)

Sauté the onion in the oil until transparent. Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute. Add the prunes, dates, apricots, barberries, walnuts, and the saffron-stock mixture. Gently simmer until the liquid has been absorbed. Reserve. (The stuffing can be made one day in advance.)

Place a slice of cooked egg in the center of each pounded chicken breast half and top with a portion of stuffing. Fold the chicken breast around the stuffing to seal and arrange in a greased roasting pan just large enough to hold all of the stuffed breasts, seam side down.

Carefully mold a portion of the lamb mixture around each stuffed chicken breast. (The stuffed breasts may be prepared one day in advance, wrapped tightly in plastic film, and refrigerated.)

Roast the bundles at 375°F [190°C], uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until browned and the filling is hot (test with a metal skewer or thermometer). Carefully remove the breasts and keep warm.

Deglaze the roasting pan over a stove burner with the chicken stock, scraping to remove any solids. Add the tomato sauce and the ground spice mixture and stir well.

Ladle 2 ounces [55 g] of spiced tomato sauce onto a plate. Carefully slice a chicken bundle in half and serve one half on top of the sauce. Garnish with tomato quarters and sprigs of fennel tops.

]]> http://www.chow.com Arthur L. Meyer 50 Main 2 tablespoons [30 mL] dried rose petals, ground

]]> 1 tablespoon [15 mL] finely ground cinnamon

]]> ½ teaspoon [3 mL] finely ground cardamom

]]> ½ teaspoon [3 mL] coarsely ground black pepper

]]> ½ tablespoon [8 mL] finely ground dried marjoram

]]> ½ teaspoon [3 mL] grated nutmeg

]]> ¼ teaspoon [1mL] finely ground caraway

]]> 1 tablespoon [15 mL] basmati rice

]]> ½ cup [120 mL] chicken stock

]]> ½ teaspoon [3 mL] turmeric

]]> 3 ounces [85 g] dried yellow split peas, simmered 25 minutes in ½ cup [120 mL] chicken stock and puréed

]]> 8 ounces [225 g] ground lamb

]]> ½ onion, grated or puréed

]]> 1½ tablespoons [25 mL] tomato paste

]]> 1 tablespoon [15 mL] chicken stock

]]> 2½ tablespoons [40 mL] leeks, minced

]]> 2 tablespoons [30 mL] fennel tops, chopped

]]> 1 egg yolk, beaten

]]> 1 tablespoon [15 mL] ground spice mix (see recipe above)

]]> 1 teaspoon [5 mL] salt

]]> 1 onion, thinly sliced

]]> 2 tablespoons [30 mL] olive oil or butter

]]> 2 garlic cloves, minced

]]> 2 pitted prunes, finely chopped

]]> 3 pitted dates, finely chopped

]]> 2 dried apricots, chopped

]]> 3 tablespoons [45 mL] dried barberries (see page 563) or dried cranberries

]]> 2 tablespoons [30 mL] walnuts, chopped fine

]]> ⅛ teaspoon [0.5 mL] ground saffron, dissolved in 1 tablespoon [15 mL] hot chicken stock

]]> 1 egg, hard-boiled, cut into 4 slices

]]> 4 boneless chicken breast halves, pounded thin

]]> ½ cup [120 mL] chicken stock for deglazing roasting pan

]]> 2 cups [480 mL] canned or freshly made tomato sauce

]]> 1 teaspoon [5 mL] ground spice mix (see recipe above)

]]> 2 tomatoes, quartered, for garnish

]]> Sprigs of fennel tops, for garnish

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