All recipes and photos are copyrighted by Mage Publishers and may not be reproduced or retransmitted in any form--printed or electronic--without written permission. They are intended for the private use of our web site visitors.
Servings: 4
Prep time: 30 min.
Cooking time: 1 hour 50 min.
2 Cornish game hens or 2 small frying chickens with skin removed
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup pitted and finely chopped prunes
1 apple, cored and chopped
1 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron, dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup orange juice

Sweet & Sour Stuffed Chicken
(Morgh-e tu por-e torsh-o-shirin)

  1. Clean and rinse the hens or chickens in cold water, then pat dry and rub with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
  2. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet and brown onion and garlic. Add prunes, apple, apricots, raisins, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, cinnamon, saffron water, and sugar. Mix well.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Stuff the hens or chickens with the fruit mixture and truss the cavities shut.
  4. Place the stuffed birds in a greased ovenproof dish or roasting pan and pour in the orange juice. Cover and bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours, basting with pan juices, until the meat separates easily from bone.
  5. Serve from the ovenproof dish or arrange the birds on a serving platter. Serve with chelow (Saffron Steamed Plain Basmati Rice), bread, salad and fresh herbs.

Recipe from Najmieh Batmanglij's
Persian Cooking For A Healthy Kitchen, page 65

 

Servings: 6
Prep time: 5 min.
Cooking time: 1 hour

3 cups long-grain basmati rice
2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons olive oil

Smothered Rice
(Kateh)

  1. Pick over and wash 3 cups of rice 5 times in warm water. If using long-grain American or Texmati rice, it is not necessary to soak or wash five times--once is sufficient.
  2. Place rice, salt, and 5 1/2 cups water in a deep non-stick pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes over medium heat (do not cover the rice). Gently stir the rice with a wooden spoon a few times while it boils.
  3. When the rice has absorbed all the water, pour the oil over it and stir through gently with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat.
  4. Place a clean dish towel or 2 layers of paper towel over the pot and cover firmly with the lid on to prevent steam from escaping. Cook 40 minutes over low heat. Remove the pot from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes on a damp surface without uncovering.
  5. Remove the lid, and place a round serving dish over the pot. Hold the pot and dish together tightly while flipping the pot to unmold the rice. The rice willbe like a cake and can then be garnished with edible flowers and herbs and cut into wedges.

Recipe from Najmieh Batmanglij's
Persian Cooking For A Healthy Kitchen, page 93

 

Servings: 6
Prep time: 30 min.
Cooking time: 30-45 min.
1 large fish (sea bass, salmon, rockfish) or 6 thick fillets of flounder or orange roughy, about 6 pounds total, cleaned and scaled
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
4 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint or 2 tablespoons dried
1 cup finely ground walnuts
1/4 cup dried barberries, cleaned, soaked for 20 minutes in water and drained*
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground saffron, dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
1 lime or 2 Seville oranges, cut in half

Fish Stuffed with Fresh Herbs
(Mahi-ye tu por ba sabzi)

  1. Rinse fish in cold water. Pat dry with paper towel and rub inside and out with 1 teaspoon salt.
  2. In a non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and sauté garlic, parsley, tarragon, scallions, coriander, and mint; add walnuts, barberries, raisins, lime juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Mix well and remove from heat.
  3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Fill the fish with the herb stuffing; pin the cavity shut. Lay the fish in a greased baking dish. Dot the fish with the remaining oil and saffron water; place in the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on the size of the fish), until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Baste occasionally with pan juices.
  4. Arrange the fish on a serving platter and garnish with lime or Seville orange slices.
  5. Serve with chelow (Saffron Steamed Plain Basmati Rice) and fresh herbs.

Note: If using fish fillets, place the stuffing in the center of a greased baking dish. Cover it with fish and pour the saffron water, oil, and juice over the fish. Continue with step 4.

*Clean sand from dried barberries (zereshk) by removing their stems and placing barberries in a colander. Place colander in a large container full of cold water and allow barberries to soak for 20 minutes. The sand will settle to the bottom of the container. Take the colander out of the container and run cold water over the barberries; drain and set aside. If using fresh barberries, remove stems and rinse with cold water.

Recipe from Najmieh Batmanglij's
Persian Cooking For A Healthy Kitchen, page 77