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Circassian Chicken (Çerkez Tavuğu)
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
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
Ingredients
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3
pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or thighs
-
1
medium yellow onion, root end intact, peeled and quartered lengthwise
Directions
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01In 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.