Persian cooking: the alchemy of saffron, dried lime, pomegranate molasses, walnuts and mountains of fresh herbs. Slow-built khoresh stews (fesenjan, ghormeh sabzi, gheymeh) ladle over chelo (steamed rice with a crispy tahdig bottom); sabzi polo, zereshk polo and a dozen other rice dishes share the table. Saffron is a first-rank ingredient, not a flourish; the New Year (Nowruz) feast is the cuisine in concentrated form.
Onion fries dark gold; turmeric, cinnamon and meat brown in. Tomato puree, hot stock, dried limes and presoaked split peas join. Simmers for 90 minutes until meat and peas are both tender. Matchstick potatoes deep-fry separately and pile on top at serving.
Onion fries deep golden in oil; turmeric and a touch of cinnamon toast in. Cubed lamb browns alongside. Herbs (huge quantities, 6 cups chopped) fry hard in their own pan in oil for 20 minutes until very dark. Everything combines with dried limes and stock; simmers for 90 minutes. Soaked kidney beans go in for the last 30 minutes.
Saffron blooms in hot water. Onion grates fine and squeezes through a sieve to release juice. Marinade: yogurt, saffron, onion juice, lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper. Cubed chicken thigh marinates for 6 hours minimum. Skewered and grilled hot 4 minutes per side. Brushed with saffron-butter at the table.
Walnuts are toasted and ground to a paste. Onions are softened slowly with turmeric and saffron; chicken thighs are seared, then poached in a stock that the walnut paste loosens into. Pomegranate molasses, sugar and lemon balance the sauce as it darkens; chicken returns to absorb flavour. Slow-cooked until the oil splits out, the sign Fesenjan is ready.
Basmati rice is rinsed and soaked. It is parboiled briefly in salted water (al dente), drained. The pot is heated with butter, oil and saffron-water. A layer of yogurt-and-rice mixture forms the crust at the bottom; the rest of the rice is piled on top in a mound. The lid is wrapped in a tea towel; everything steams for 45 minutes; the bottom crisps. Inverted onto a platter, the golden tahdig sits on top.
