Easter Lunch- Persian chicken with honey pomegranate sauce

Sometimes I feel like an 'ode to frying onions' is in order- and today was certainly one of those days! 

With the Autumn sun shinning in Melbourne and plenty of time on our hands- we had homemade hot cross buns of breakfast, a nap in the sunshine and then embarked upon Persian chicken with pomegranate & honey sauce- courtesy of the 2009 foodies diary, complete with recipes from Allan Campion and Michele Curtis. The recipes should be catalogued, not languishing in my diary... 

I'm not usually one to actively engage in diary recipes, but on spying the 'pomegranate molasses' and having a fairly lonely bottle in the cupboard (thanks to some NYE mayhem and cocktails), I thought this one looked divine for an Easter Sunday lunch. 

Persian chicken with honey pomegranate sauce- 

Ingredients:

One whole chicken (free range of course if possible), cut into 8 pieces.

Generous splash of olive oil

1 large onion, diced 

1 clove crushed garlic

1 tsp each cinnamon, ground cumin, ground corriander

1 tbsp pomegranate molases

2 tbsp honey

2 cups chicken stock (go on, try it home made)

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (we used sunflower seeds today)

1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves

1/2 cup natural yoghurt

Method:

Heat a large heavy based fry pan and add a generous splash of olive oil. Brown the chicken pieces (in batches is best) and set aside. Return the pan to the heat and add diced onion, cooking for 3-4 mins. Add crushed garlic clove and spices, cooking for 1-2mins or until fragrant (and they smell so good!).

Add pomegranate molasses, honey and chicken stock and bring to boil. Add browned chicken pieces and reduce to simmer. Season with Salt and Pepper. 

Simmer for 40mins. Add the toasted pine nuts, coriander leaves and yoghurt. Stir through and remove from heat. Garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds if desired and serve (with rice is good). It's just brilliant with braised cabbage and fennel, radish salad.