Ingredients

• some sunflower oil
• 2-3 onions chopped
• 6 chicken thighs, skinned, bone in
• 1 good pinch of saffron
• 2 tsp powder cumin
• ½ tsp powder cinnamon
• juice of 2 oranges
• sea salt & black pepper
• 1 large fennel bulbs, cut to about 6 to 8 pieces
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 handfuls dried barberries (“Zereshk”)

Instruction

1. Add the saffron (strands or powder) in a small glas and pour some boiling hot water on it, cover it with a lid, so that the colour and taste can develop.
2. Squezze the oranges and add the spices to it, mix it.
3. In a large frying pan fry the chicken thighs with some sunflower oil to golden brown. Remove and set aside.
4. In the same pan fry the onions to light brown. Add the chicken thigh.
5. Add the saffron water, the orange juice withe the cumin, cinnamon, enough boiling water to cover and season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Let it cook for about ten minutes.
6. Add the fennel and the honey. Cover the pan and simmer for about 1 hour on low heat. Mix occasionally.
7. Now add the zereshk and continue to simmer under low temperature for about another half a hour.
8. Serve with Basmati rice.

ready for the spices

simmering starts

last half a hour

Suggestion

• in stead of just adding hot water to cover the chicken you can use chicken stock instead.
• you can fry the fennel as well. But then add it later to the chicken stew, as it otherwise gets to soft. This way the fennel has a light caramel taste.