Circassian Chicken (Çerkez Tavuğu)

Adapted by Courtney Hill

6 Servings

45 minutes

Free

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Circassian chicken, çerkez tavuğu in Turkish, is a popular meze dish and an elevated form of chicken salad. Cooked shredded chicken is dressed with a rich, creamy, bread-thickened garlic and walnut sauce, then served at room temperature. A rust-red oil made by infusing olive oil with Aleppo pepper or paprika is an elegant flourish that also brings earthy aroma and chili heat. This version of Circassian chicken is our adaptation of a recipe from Emine Nese Daglar, a home cook who resides in Istanbul, and grandmother of chef Cagla Gurses. To stale the bread for making the sauce, simply leave the slices out for a few hours; they should feel dryish on the surface but not brittle. Serve the salad with warm pita bread. We also like sliced radishes and pickles on the side.

6

Servings

Tip

Don’t add too much broth when pureeing the walnut sauce. If the sauce is too thin, it will not cling to the chicken. Start with the smaller amount of broth and add only as much as needed so the consistency resembles that of pourable yogurt. If you find that after dressing the chicken mixture is too thick and dry, mix in additional broth a little at a time to thin it. Also, don’t discard the remaining broth. Save it for use in another recipe that calls for chicken broth.

45 minutes

3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or thighs

1 medium yellow onion, root end intact, peeled and quartered lengthwise

5 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, plus ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

3 slices stale white sandwich bread (see headnote), crusts removed (about 4 ounces)

1 cup walnuts, chopped

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon salted butter, cut into 2 pieces

1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper or 2 teaspoons sweet paprika

Ingredients

3

pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or thighs
1

medium yellow onion, root end intact, peeled and quartered lengthwise
5

medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
10

sprigs flat-leaf parsley, plus ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
3

slices stale white sandwich bread (see headnote), crusts removed (about 4 ounces)
1

cup walnuts, chopped
3

tablespoons lemon juice
1

tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1

tablespoon salted butter, cut into 2 pieces
1

tablespoon Aleppo pepper or 2 teaspoons sweet paprika

Directions

01

In a large pot, combine the chicken, onion, garlic, parsley sprigs, 1½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper and 7 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then cover, reduce to low and cook, occasionally turning the chicken, until the thickest part of the largest breast (if using) reaches 160°F, 20 to 25 minutes, or the thickest part of the largest thigh (if using) reaches 175°F, 25 to 30 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a large plate; set aside until cool enough to handle.
02

While the chicken cools, strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Transfer the garlic cloves to a blender jar; discard the remaining solids. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, lower each slice of bread into the broth just until fully moistened; using your hands, gently squeeze to remove excess liquid and add the bread to the blender. Measure 3 tablespoons walnuts and set aside for garnish; add the remainder to the blender. Start the blender, then remove the center cap on the blender lid. With the blender running on high, stream in about ¼ cup broth and puree until the mixture is smooth and has the consistency of pourable yogurt; leave the sauce in the blender and set aside.
03

Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces, discarding the skin and bones. Add the meat to a large bowl. Measure 1 cup of the sauce and add to the chicken along with the lemon juice; toss. If the mixture is too thick, stir in additional broth a few teaspoons at a time to thin. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
04

Onto a serving platter, spoon the remaining sauce and spread in an even layer. Spoon the chicken mixture on top and sprinkle with the chopped parsley and reserved walnuts.
05

In an 8-inch skillet over medium, heat the oil and butter until the butter melts. Add the Aleppo pepper and cook, swirling the pan, until the mixture is fragrant and the fat takes on a reddish hue, about 1 minute. Drizzle the mixture over the chicken and serve.

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Reviews

kathleen h.

July 8, 2022

circassian chicken

1/4 C of broth is not enough. I used about 3/4 broth. We think it is better if you layer the parts and keep them separate until you are ready to serve. That way its easy to have leftovers. It is, by the way, even better the second day

Michael C.

June 29, 2022

My standard complaints

Please include the amount of water in your ingredient list. It makes prep much easier. Don't assume a lack of ingredients. Maybe I have Marash biber. Maybe Urfa biber is what should be used in some recipes not Ancho peppers. Try real ingredients first and work arounds second. Your modified recipes may be better than the originals but give us a chance to compare in this age of online ingredients.