Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

3 1/2 lb Chicken; cut into 8 serving 3 sl White bread; (homemade type)
;pieces 1 ts Paprika
3 c Water Black pepper; freshly ground
1 1/2 ts Salt 1 tb Parsley; finely chopped and
1 1/2 c Walnuts, shelled ;preferably flat leaf
1/2 c Onion; finely chopped

In a 4 to 5 quart saucepan, combine the chicken, water and 1/2
teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the
heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the
chicken is tender but not falling apart. Transfer the chicken to a
plate, and boil the stock rapidly, uncovered, over until reduced to 1
1/2 cups.
Combine the walnuts, onions and stock in the jar of an electric
blender and blend at high speed for 15 seconds. Add the bread, 1/2
teaspoon of the paprika, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and a few
grindings of pepper, and blend at high speed until the mixture
becomes a smooth puree.
(To make the walnut puree by hand, pulverize the nuts with a nut
grinder or mortar and pestle. Transfer them to a bowl, add the
onions, and, with the back of a spoon, mash them together to a smooth
paste. Tear and shred the bread with a fork, then mash it into the
nuts. Beat in the hot stock, a few tablespoons at a time, and
continue beating until the mixture is smooth and thick enough to hold
its shape almost solidly in a spoon.)
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin with a
small knife or your fingers and cut or pull the meat away from the
bones. Discard the bones, and cut the chicken meat into strips about
1/8 inch wide and 1 to 1 1/2 inches long. Place the chicken in a
bowl and add 1 1/2 cups of the walnut sauce, tossing the chicken
about with a spoon to coat the pieces well.
Mound the chicken on a platter, mask the top with the remaining
sauce, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of paprika. Garnish with
parsley if desired.
NOTE: A more traditional garnish for cerkes tavugu is made from
paprika and the oil of ground walnuts. For this, pulverize 1/4 cup
of shelled walnuts with 1/2 teaspoon of paprika in a mortar and
pestle. Place a spoonful of the mixture at a time in a garlic press,
and squeeze the oil over the chicken.

12 of 117

Source: Time Life Series: Middle Eastern Cooking "circa '69"

MMed by: earl.cravens#salata.com
Submitted By EARL CRAVENS On 01-06-95 (2059)

Browse by categories