Chicken with plums from Iran

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 ½ kg chicken thighs, or “chicken pan” with various parts
• 3 tbsp clarified butter
• 200 g plum(s) (Alu Bokharai), dried sour Iranian
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 750 ml water
• 3 onions, finely diced
• 2 pinches of saffron
• 1 tsp spice mix (Tabil), or Harissa
• 4 tbsp extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil
• n. B. Salt and pepper, freshly ground
• Sugar

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes

Morning ba Alu

If the chicken thighs consist of the leg and the top, please separate them. With a “chicken pan,” the individual pieces are usually already the right size. Please do not use marinated meat. Heat the clarified butter in a large nonstick pan and sear the chicken pieces first on the skin side until golden brown, then sear the back side as well, but be careful not to burn the chicken. Now place the chicken pieces in a wide pot and set the pan aside for later use (do not wash!). Add the dried Iranian plums without soaking, along with half of the tomato paste. Lightly season with salt and pepper and fill with water. The 750 ml is not essential; the pot contents should just be well covered. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to low until it just simmers. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure the temperature is still correct. Meanwhile, finely dice the onions and sauté them in the chicken pan in olive oil over 3/4 heat until golden brown, then set aside. Pour 2 tablespoons of boiling water over the saffron and let it steep for 15 minutes. After 45 minutes of cooking, add the onions, tabil or harissa, the soaked saffron, and the remaining tomato paste to the chicken and prunes in the pan. Stir gently. Season with salt (1-3 teaspoons, depending on your taste), plenty of freshly ground pepper, and a good pinch of sugar. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes. Your guests will be grateful if the cook mentions the stones in the prunes! I serve this with freshly baked flatbread, which I season with cardamom, cumin, and cayenne pepper.