Pairs well with Akbar Joojeh (Persian Style Fried Chicken)
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Akbar Joojeh (Persian Style Fried Chicken)
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Akbar Joojeh is a Persian fried chicken dish originating from Mazandaran Province in northern Iran. It features boiled then fried small chicken cooked slowly in butter and served with pomegranate paste or molasses. The dish is tender, flavorful, and traditionally enjoyed with rice.
01:15:00 total
Serves 4
medium
Meat Main Course
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Ingredients
- whole chicken - 1 whole chicken (about 1 to 1.4 kg (2.2 to 3 lbs), cleaned and halved)
- water - 200-300 g (for boiling the chicken)
- green bell pepper - 1/4 (quartered)
- garlic cloves - 2 cloves (cut into three pieces each)
- onion - 1 (cut into large pieces)
- liquid saffron - watch the video to see (optional)
- salt - 2 tablespoons (for boiling and seasoning)
- black pepper - 1 teaspoon (for boiling and seasoning)
- butter - 150-200 g (for slow cooking the fried chicken)
- cooking oil - watch the video to see (enough for frying the chicken)
- pomegranate paste (molasses) - 1 cup (for serving)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken and aromatics: Clean the whole chicken by removing excess fat, the tip of the wings, and any parts that may cause off-flavors. Cut the chicken in half lengthwise. Cut the onion into large pieces and garlic cloves into three pieces each.
- Boil the chicken: In a pot, add the onion, garlic, quartered green bell pepper, salt, and black pepper. Place the chicken halves in the pot and add 200-300 g of water to cover partially. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes until the chicken is partially cooked.
- Drain and prepare for frying: Remove the chicken from the boiling water and drain completely. Clean the pot and add enough cooking oil for frying.
- Fry the chicken: Place the chicken halves in the hot oil and fry on one side until it changes color slightly and turns golden. Flip to the other side and fry similarly. Reduce the heat to low.
- Slow cook with butter and saffron: Add the butter on top of the chicken in the pot. Optionally, add a little liquid saffron. Cover the pot with a kitchen cloth and lid. Let the chicken cook slowly on very low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour until tender and falling off the bone.
- Serve: Serve the Akbar Joojeh hot, accompanied by pomegranate paste or molasses. It is traditionally eaten by dipping the chicken into the pomegranate sauce and served with rice.
