Happy Norouz, Everyone!

Ali travels the world, as I was saying during yesterday’s post. As a Foreign Policy Analyst, he rarely has the time for dinners with Shane and me. But finally, we all set a date. That date was summarily scuttled when the Shane came down with some equally international bug.

But true to form, Ali wanted to impress; he knew that Shane had been talking him up as an outstanding chef and wanted me to know that where the best Persian food in the city is. Turns out Shane was right, the best Persian in D.C. can be found at their home.

And so, the date is upon us, Happy Norouz, everyone! Persian New Year begins forthwith! In fact Norouz starts at this very minute.

And Ali and Shane are healthy again, so it is time for a little Norouz-shment.

This event usually coincides with the Vernal Equinox which according to the google-o-meter says:

Originally being a Zoroastrian festival, and the holiest of them all, Nowruz is believed to have been invented by Zoroaster himself, although there is no clear date of origin. Since the Achaemenid era the official year has begun with the New Day when the Sun leaves the zodiac of Pisces and enters the zodiacal sign of Aries, signifying the Spring Equinox.

Well, I’ve always like Pisces (although, I think Ali is Gemini and Shane is Capricorn, uh, so never mind…) At any rate, I watched Ali make possibly the most tasty chicken thigh dish I can imagine. And this sort of cooking magic compels me to share the results with you.

Nothing special seemed to go into it, though. So, while I’ll tell you what he did, I must confess, I’m not sure why it tastes so excellent. Perhaps because the meat perches atop a bed of Javahar Polo or “jewelled rice.”

Javahar Polo

1/2 c sugar and 1/2 c grated carrot and orange zest boiled for 10 minutes to get the bitterness out. Create a simple syrup.

1 chopped large onion

olive oil for quick frying

1/2 c sultanas (golden raisins)

a couple fistfuls of slivered almonds and chopped pistachios

1 c barberries

4-5 c rice

1 t ground saffron in 1/2 c water and 1/2 c olive oil

First create the simple syrup as above. Set aside. Bowl rice with about 1″ of water above the rice in a Dutch oven with salt. Boil 6-7 minutes. Don’t cook more than 10 minutes, whatever you do. Drain.

Incorporate the carrot/orange peel mixture by laying it in the rice in layers. Replace the rice into the pot layering with the peel. Now pour the saffron/water/olive oil mixture into the hot pan on low heat and pour the berries and nuts in. Quickly fry these first until the nuts are lightly browned. Remove the berries and nuts. Pour the oil and syrup mixture back over the rice. Cook through. The oil, sugar and starch create that incredible tahdig or “bottom of the [rice] pot” crust that is so popular in middle eastern cuisine. I find it utterly indispensable for making flavorful rice and just wish I could make it every time I make rice.

Jewelled Rice

While you are making the javahar polo, begin preparing the entrée. Fry 8-12 boneless and skinless thighs on one side for about 15-20 minutes in some olive oil and the juice of two lemons in a regular (not a non-stick) pan. Add 1 medium onion, chopped, and 4-5 cloves of roughly chopped garlic near the beginning of the process. Salt and pepper the chicken as you go. Flip the chicken and cook through; you may need more lemon juice as you go, so the chicken stays in a moist lemony bath. After about 45 minutes, you’ll have dinner.

Sprinkle the berries and nuts over the top of the rice. And then place the browned chicken thighs atop the rice. Let the oooooohs and aaaaaaahs begin.

On a side note, Shane brought a little bit of home (Upstate New York, that is) to the table as well, taking this most Islamic affairs to a decidedly secular level with a Dr. Konstantin Frank’s Fingerlakes white varietal called Rkatsiteli. Crisp and clean, dry and not overly-alcohol-y, this vineyard is one of the very best in the Fingerlakes region.

2009 Rkatsiteli

Dr. Frank's Fingerlakes White

Dr. Konstantin Frank Vineyards

12%

Hammondsport, N.Y. 

I’d never had such an obscure varietal, which according to Wikipedia is a Georgian grape, and prior to the fall of the Soviet Union was the most widely exported grape in the country. Dare I say it: count on Shane to bring it! Who knew that a Persian/ Georgian mash-up was to be the order of the day.

Until our next Persian meal of veal shoulder, lava beans, and dried fenugreek herb, Happy Nourouz, everybody! And as Ali says, Noushe e Jan (roughly “Bon Appetit” or “To your life’s enjoyment!”)

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