Recipe Archives->Middle Eastern->Circassian Chicken 01

Circassian Chicken (Turkish)

4 whole chicken breasts, on the bone with skin
1 carrot, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 rib celery, cut in 1-inch pieces
1/2 onion
2 bay leaves
6 peppercorns
1/2 pound shelled walnuts
2 slices firm white bread, soaked in 1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon good-quality paprika

Place chicken breasts, carrot, celery, onion, bay leaves and
peppercorns in a large Dutch oven. Add enough cold water to cover
the chicken by 2 inches. Heat to a boil and skim all scum. Reduce
the heat to low. Simmer gently until chicken is tender enough to
poke a fork through to the bone, 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken and allow to cool a few minutes before removing
the meat from the bone. Discard the skin and bones. Reserve the
cooking liquid.

Put walnuts, bread (squeezed dry), salt, garlic and black pepper
in a food processor or blender. Process until well blended. With
the machine running, pour 1 cup of the reserved chicken cooking
liquid through the lid; process until smooth.

Cut chicken breasts in half crosswise. Shred by pulling meat apart
with the grain. Toss with the sauce. Adjust the seasoning with salt
and pepper.  Arrange on a platter. If serving immediately, blend
the olive oil and paprika together. Drizzle over chicken in a
crisscross design. If serving later, refrigerate covered and remove
1 hour before serving, then add the paprika mixture.

Printable version: circassian-chicken01.txt.