I don't think I've mentioned it on the boards before, and perhaps now is not really the most auspicious time, but I'm actually half Iranian. I haven't posted many (or any!) Iranian recipes because they tend to require specialist ingredients that not everyone has but the below is quite easy. A lot of traditional Persian foods involve chickpeas, lentils or wheat, which are obviously out for us but the stews are usually very easy to make paleo if they aren't already
Sidenote on Persian food -
similar to Tunisian, Moroccan, Turkish, Iraqi
main meats: chicken, lamb, fish
use of fruit with meat characteristic
sour cherries, sour golden plums, figs, dates pomegranate, lemons, oranges, limes, rose water, saffron, olives, honey, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, turmeric, cumin, quince, aubergine, parsley, coriander, mint, rocket, almonds, pistachios and walnuts all commonly used ingredients
Khoresh-e esfenaj-o alu (Stew with spinach and sour golden plums)
This stew has the sweet-sour taste that is characteristic of persian cooking
Ingredients
500g chicken - two drumsticks and two thighs, with skin
OR
400-550g stewing lamb (weight depends on how much bone is in the lamb. I recommend using lamb with some bone in for richness)
1 large or 2 small yellow onion, chopped
2 small or 1 large died lime (will need to find specialist grocery)
10 sour golden plums (dried) (do not use regular prunes)
the juice and grated zest of 1 orange
juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime
200g young fresh spinach (or frozen, but make sure to use whole leaves not chopped)
salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice (cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cumin)
some fat (Tallow if stewing lamb, if using chicken then lard probably best although obviously would never be used traditionally. Ghee, chicken, goose or duck fat all are fine as well)
Method
In a heavy casserole, sweat the onions in a little fat. Continue cooking until lightly browned
In a frying pan, heat some fat and brown the meat over high heat till well browned
Add the meat to the casserole and cover with water
Add the dried limes, orange and lemon juice, spices
Cover and simmer very gently - on hob or in oven. Stir occasionally
Total cooking time for chicken - 2-3 hours, lamb 3-4 hours, mutton 4-5 hours.
1 hr 30 mins before end of cooking time, remove lid to allow liquid to reduce
1 hr before end, remove bones from stew mix. Add spinach and prunes and continue to simmer, covered/uncovered according to water level. Stew should be served thick and not with the usual saffron rice!
