Reviewed: Jun. 6, 2009

I really loved this - easy and exotic. But I did make some changes and would do more tweaking if I make it again. I followed the suggestion of others to use 2 cups pomegranate juice and two cups chicken stock. I think, in the future, I'd tend towards a little bit more pom juice than chicken stock. I imagine it really depends on the juice. I didn't use the sugar. It was sweet enough. There was so much sauce, that I regretted not having added veggies. And in fact, for leftovers, I sauteed some mushrooms and carrots and threw in a handful of pearl onions. It's just begging for veggies. Also added parsley at the end. Cilantro might be nice, too. But it definitely needs some color, so add one or the other. I think it would be terrific over couscous, though we used leftover rice. And crusty bread to sop up the sauce, a must. I have a feeling this dish will become a regular meal at our house, particularly when cooler weather comes around again.

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Barley's luminary

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Reviewed: May 28, 2009

This was pretty good. I'm used to Indian food so even though they aren't the same I was hoping it would have had a bit more spice (flavor not chili hot). It wasn't bad though and I would probably make it again. It certainly doesn't look the prettiest, but did taste better than it looked. Even better the second day.

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Christina

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Roanoke, Virginia, USA

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Reviewed: May 28, 2009

Althought it didn't taste like the fesenjan I get at my favorite restaurant, the flavor of this was excellent and the sauce was incredibly rich. I will definitely make this again. After reading other reviews, I subbed chicken broth for 2 cups of the pomegranate juice. However, I used POM juice and I think it is sweeter than what other people have been using. Next time I will use 4 cups of juice - no way it would have been too tangy. It needed more pomegranate flavor. Don't be afraid to use it all if you are using POM. Besides, you can always add sugar to sweeten it, but adding more juice would have made the sauce too thin. Also, the chicken cooked down so much, next time I will use 3-4 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs. Absolutely delicious and rich. What a keeper.

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KrisMarie

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

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Reviewed: Mar. 19, 2009

I thought it was easy to make and tasty, but you have to check while you are cooking that the molasses added don;t make it too tangy.I added a bit of brown sugar and it was perfect.

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Foodie

Cooking Level: Expert

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Reviewed: Dec. 11, 2008

This is one of my favourite dishes. I usually remove the meat from the chicken once it's cooked ... kind of like pulled pork, you just sort of shread up the chicken, then return the meat to the pot. That way there are no bones in the stew, just serve it over your rice and enjoy. Always good with a side of plain yogurt.

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Autumn Leaves

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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Reviewed: Nov. 29, 2008

I really wanted to like this, but found the tart flavor too strong and overpowering. I wish I had followed other reviews and used half pom juice, half chicen broth.

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alo365

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Reviewed: Nov. 15, 2008

Delicious. My children and husband loved it. It could not have been easier. I used a hand blender to puree the nuts which left a few larger pieces, but when the stew was done I used the hand blender directly in the pot, and it worked perfectly. I let my walnuts get a bit too brown which made the dish a darker color, but it tasted divine. This will definitely be in the rotation. I served it with rice (I like the Brazilian white rice recipe on this site).

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mamalou

Cooking Level: Expert

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Reviewed: Nov. 13, 2008

First, thank you SO much for sharing this. My friend and I made this the other night, and it came out DELICIOUS! I have had fesenjan before made in my favorite restaurant and by family, but it beats both(although my aunts does come close).We only used 1/4th the pomegranate juice though, because we didn't have anymore >.

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sopostmodernn

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Reviewed: Jul. 21, 2008

Very good. Extremely tender. Will make again.

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Muffin

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Brooklyn, New York, USA

Living In: Frisco, Texas, USA

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Reviewed: May 10, 2008

My husband liked this a lot, i found it a bit too tart myself, but it is still a very good recipe. I used a bit less pomengranate juice b/c i drank some of it :) It took about 2 hours to cook down to the consistency I wanted. I did use chicken breast b/c it is what i had but i also recommend using thighs instead, dark meat would just taste better, or better yet, make this sauce and put it on a ROASTED DUCK- the tartness would be divine with a duck. This recipe is really simple and if you are uncertain about if you will like it just cut it in half and give it a go, it does not have too much of a peculiar Middle Eastern spice flavor at all.

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Malishka31

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Brooklyn, New York, USA

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Reviewed: Apr. 7, 2008

This was very easy to make and it turned out great. I highly recommend this recipe.

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smla

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Reviewed: Feb. 29, 2008

This is really good, but it is unusual. I only had about three cups of pomegranate juice so used water for the last 8 ounces. I also thought it was sweet enough without the sugar so I left it out. I did use a 1/4 of a teaspoon ground cardamom, but might use a 1/2 teaspoon next time. You really do need to simmer it for about 90 minutes if not two hours. I used chicken thighs and the chicken was very tender and moist. Very easy recipe and I will definitely make it again.

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Jennifer

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Grand Junction, Colorado, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 26, 2008

Very delicious and the leftovers were equally as impressive. I used brown sugar and really liked the result. Thanks for a terrific recipe.

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SHAGADELIC007

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Arlington, Texas, USA

Living In: Thousand Oaks, California, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 14, 2008

Very nice, unique flavor. Chicken looked like beef once the pomegranate juice worked it over.

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LUMBERJACK

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Reviewed: Jan. 6, 2008

I made it without the sugar and half of the pom juice. Fantastic. The meat drips off the bone with a tang that impresses instead of curling the toes and cramping the tongue.

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DEYAWPER

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Reviewed: Dec. 17, 2007

I made this for the first time tonight. Neither my husband or I have had this before. It was really good. I really didn't change the recipe except to add some garlic. I served it with basmati rice and pita bread. I thought it was a bit sweet by my husband thought it was just right. It also came out a very dark purple almost black color, much different than the picture.

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Moriah

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Denver, Colorado, USA

Living In: Springfield, Colorado, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 3, 2007

yeowza, you have got to try this! my husband and I ate this at a now-closed Persian restaurant in D.C. for our first date, and this brings back the memories. fabulous!

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Heather Kelley

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Reviewed: Nov. 14, 2007

I've tried several Fesenjan recipes on this site and THIS is the one I've been looking for. This is about as good as it gets, aside from it being cooked by a Persian mom (which by default will always be better). I don't really like chicken legs, but I used them anyways based on the reviews. SO good! I used really fresh walnuts, and I found that after a couple of hours of simmering a lot of oil went to the top. It was easy to blot the top of the stew before serving and that cut back on the grease factor somewhat. This isn't the most aesthetically pleasing dish, but it definitely makes up for its presentation in taste. I will definitely be making this one again! Thanks a lot for the recipe:)

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pinkypink

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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Reviewed: Sep. 10, 2007

Absolutely delicious! The flavors all steep together gloriously, and it's got the same distinctive flavor you find in fine Persian restaurant fesenjan. I mixed chicken breasts and thighs, but to my surprise I found the thighs much tastier, as the cooking time was too long for the drier breast meat. I will definitely make this again!

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CVH

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: San Diego, California, USA

Living In: Chicago, Illinois, USA

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Reviewed: Aug. 30, 2007

Terrific! Just as I remembered it tasting when prepared by my Iranian friend. I used spoons to shred the chicken, and loved the way it tasted with pita. Also, I added a little pinch of saffron at the end (during the time the basmati cooked). This will now be a staple in my house!

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COURTJK

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Pomegranate Stew with Chicken (Khoresh Fesenjan)

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