How to Make Middle Eastern Fesenjan - Braised Duck with Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce Asian Cooking Recipe Cuisine

Middle East Fesenjan (Braised Duck with Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce)

This recipe was taken from centuries old cooking techniques and when possible applied modern cooking methods and/or ingredients.  It uses Asian cooking styles, Asian Spices, Asian Sauces and Asian Ingredients.  The style of cooking may have a slight alteration while still maintaining the dish's overall purpose.  In this blog we touch on recipes that may be predominant for the Chinese Cuisines.  We will also share recipes based upon country, or regions such as: Burma, Cambodia, Indian, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam.  Some cuisines are considered South Asian, South East Asian dishes, Central Asian and/or Middle Eastern and may not be strictly connected to a specific country or culture.

Recipe makes for 4 Servings

¼ cup olive oil

2 medium-sized onions, peeled and cut into 1/4” thick slices

¼ tsp. cloves

¼ tsp. allspice

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. turmeric

3 ½ cups shelled walnuts, pulverized in a blender or with a nut grinder,

4 cups water

2 tsps. Salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 whole duck, about 3 kilos, cut into quarters and trimmed of all exposed fat

½ cup bottled pomegranate syrup

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

dried sour cherries or dates, optional


Directions:

1. In a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil, add the onions, spices and turmeric stirring frequently until the onions are richly browned. 

2. With a slotted spoon, transfer them to a heavy casserole and add the pulverized walnuts, water, salt and a few grindings of pepper to the onions in the casserole and stir until thoroughly blended.  Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to low and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, return the skillet to the stove, heat it until a light haze forms above it and add the duck to the oil remaining in the pan, add more oil if necessary.  Brown the duck lightly, turning it with tongs or a spoon and regulating the heat so that it colors evenly on all sides without burning.

4. Transfer the duck to the simmering walnut mixture, turning the pieces about with a spoon to coat them evenly.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover tightly and simmer for 1 ½ hours, or until the duck is almost tender and shows little resistance when pierced with the point of a small, sharp knife.

5. With a large spoon, skim as much fat as possible from the surface of the walnut sauce.  Combine pomegranate syrup, lemon juice and sour cherries.  Add them to the sauce.  Simmer for 30 minutes longer and taste for seasoning. 

6. To serve, arrange the duck attractively on a deep heated platter and moisten it with a cup or so of the sauce.  Sprinkle it, if you like, with the coarsely chopped walnuts.  Pour the rest of the sauce into a bowl or sauceboat and serve separately.

For the adventurous palate, a great side dish that compliments this recipe is Jaew Bong.  Discover more about Jaew Bong, check out www.jaewbong.com.

Enjoy..

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