Fesenjan with Poached Chicken

Place the chicken breasts in a heavy-bottomed pot with the celery, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns, and juniper berries. Cover barely with cold water.

Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and maintain this temperature for exactly 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest in the hot water for 10 minutes. (The gentle poach keeps the chicken tender — never let it boil vigorously)

Transfer chicken to cool, then shred into bite-sized pieces. Reserve the aromatic broth for another use.

Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until finely ground — you want the texture of coarse flour, about 360g ground nuts.

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until golden, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the ground walnuts and stir constantly for 5 minutes. The mixture will darken and become fragrant. (Keep stirring — the nuts will stick and burn if left unattended)

Stir in the lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, cinnamon, sugar, salt, and water. Cover and simmer gently for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Five minutes before serving, fold in the shredded chicken. Heat through gently — don't let it boil or the chicken will toughen.