MKMW: Azerbaijan

The next country on our MKMW tour of the world was Azerbaijan, suggested by Elra. I thought that it might be more difficult to find recipes this time, but search results led me to a great blog: Farida's Azerbaijani Cookbook. Besides showcasing delicious Azerbaijani cuisine, Farida is also a Daring Baker.

The most recent entry on Farida's blog sounded too terrific to pass up, so that is what I chose to represent my worldly excursion: Chicken with Eggs (Toyug Chighirtmasi). This is a tasty, easy, and eye-pleasing dish that I would highly recommend.




Thanks also goes to Lauren for hosting, and Susan for creating My Kitchen My World.

CHICKEN WITH EGGS / TOYUG CHIGHIRTMASI

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

3 tablesspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 pounds / 900g boneless or bone-in chicken parts, cut into about 10 serving pieces (I used boneless chicken thighs)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon, or more, to taste, ground black pepper
4 medium ripe tomatoes, finely chopped, with their juices
3 eggs, lightly beaten
chopped cilantro (coriander) or parsley, to garnish

NOTE 1: If your tomatoes are not ripe and juicy, dissolve 1 tablespoon tomato paste in 1/2 cup hot water and add it to the chicken along with chopped tomatoes.

NOTE 2: You can also bake this dish in the oven at the last stage. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish then pour the eggs over it. Bake in the 400F (200C) degree oven until the eggs are set. It makes for a beuatiful presentation if you serve this dish straight from your baking dish.

1. In a medium frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, or until it is light brown. Transfer the onion to a bowl and put aside.

2. Add the remaining oil and the butter to the same frying pan and heat over medium heat (Note: butter alone tends to brown when you melt it. Adding some fluid oil to the pan along with butter will prevent that). Add the chicken pieces and fry for about 20 minutes, or until they are brown, turning them once to cook on both sides.

3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the cooked onions and chopped tomatoes with juices to the pan. Cover and turning only occasionally, simmer over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.

4. Pour the beaten eggs over the chicken, slightly tilting the pan to distribute the eggs evenly. Cover the pan and let cook for about 5-7 minutes (do not stir!) or until the eggs are set. Serve immediatley, garnished with fresh chopped cilantro or parsley. Chicken with Eggs is delicious with bread or rice