Pomegranate Khoresh with Chicken

2 large onions, peeled, and thinly sliced
2 pounds chicken legs or duck breast, cut up with skin removed
5 tablespoons oil or butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pomegranate paste dissolved in 2.5 cups water or 4 cups
pomegranate juice
1 cup peeled and cubed butternut squash (optional) (I use it and love
it in this dish)
1/2 pound or 2 cups very finely ground walnuts
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
seeds of a whole fresh pomegranate (note to self: grow a pomegranate
tree)

Brown onions and chicken in oil. Add 1 teaspoon salt.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a non-stick skillet and brown both sides of
the squash. Set aside.

In food processor, finely grind the walnuts, add the diluted
pomegranate paste, cinamon, saffron water and mix well to create a
creamy paste.

Add the butternut squash and nut paste to the onions and chicken
stirring gently. If the pomegranate paste is too sour, add 2
tablespoons sugar. Cover and simmer 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally
with a wooden spoon to prevent the nuts from burning. (Tammy's note:
one should never burn one's nor anyone else's nuts)

Garnish with pomegranate seeds. Serve with rice.

This recipe is from New Food of Life (Ancient Persian and Modern
Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies) which was given to me by a fellow
rfcer who knows how much I love him :-) There are variations of this
recipe which I'm far too lazy to type in. I HIGHLY recommend this
book to anyone who finds this type of cookery appealling. I do, and I
cook from it often.