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12/03/2001 Archived Entry: "Circassian Chicken"

Buffet food.

It should be dishes that can be eaten with the fingers or only a fork. No knives please.

It should be dishes that are delicious warm or cold or at room temperature, preferably at room temperature because warm and cold foods, as they stand out on the buffet table, eventually become room temperature anyway.

It should be dishes that look good, or at least they should be served on platters or in bowls, baking dishes, casseroles, etc, that make them look good.

It should be dishes that are not too difficult or time-consuming to prepare, because if you are feeding a crowd you will need to prepare a slew of dishes, which is generally a much better idea than serving a three or four-course menu, each dish in large enough quantity to serve a horde. The more people you feed, the more different tastes you need to satisfy. Therefore, there should be a meat dish, a fish dish, a poultry dish, and a vegetarian dish. At least one of each.

There should be things that can be picked up and nibbled – so that those who are standing around and talking and drinking can get a bite between words and sips – or put on bread to eat with your hand, standing up. And there should be dishes that you put on a plate, sit down with, using your lap as a table. Big napkins are handy, in that case.

Of course, a book could be written on buffets. Naturally, there have been several, although I can’t think of one that is still in print.

This is not the place for me to tell you everything I have learned on the subject over the many years I have entertained buffet-style. I will, however, emphasize one cardinal rule: Get help.

I mean, you can do all the cooking yourself (or fill in with bought stuff), but be sure to get enough help so that you can enjoy the party and not be worrying about hanging up and fetching coats, serving drinks, bussing the tables, replenishing food … oh, there are so many things to do. Hire teenagers if you don’t want to pay top dollar for professional help. Just make sure they are smart and eager and that you train them well. Assemble them the day before the party, or a week before the party, to help you set up and to make sure they know what their tasks are. Print menus or directions for them, if need be. Make sure they know where everything is kept.

Last week, I taught a class that I think of as Buffet 101 at a la carte, the cooking school in Lynbrook, Long Island. Even there, I didn’t get to tell it all. I will, however, over the next two weeks, give you more tips on buffet entertaining, not to mention recipes. Here’s one, a Turkish dish that is among my favorites for parties. Also check out the Mushroom Strudel that was in The Maven’s Diary on November 29. It can be frozen weeks ahead of time, it’s vegetarian, and it can be cut into small pieces and eaten with the fingers off a cocktail napkin, fulfilling several buffet requirements – not to mention that it is extremely delicious.


Circassian Chicken
(Çerkez Tavuu, in Turkish)

Makes 16 to 20 servings, maybe more,
as an appetizer (mezze) or for a buffet

The historic region of Circassia was roughly the area between the Black Sea and what is now Russia and Georgia, on the western side of the Caucasus mountains. Today, it is basically southeastern Russia. From the 17th century until 1829, however, Circassia was under the rule of the Ottoman Turks. Even after the Turks ceded Circassia to Russia, however, there were many wars between the two countries and in the 1860s about 400,000 Circassians migrated to Turkey. Today, there are also Circassian people (who are Muslims) in Syria, Jordan and other Middle Eastern countries, which is why this dish is claimed by so many different peoples. It is extremely popular in Turkey, Russia, and Georgia, where I know Turks, Russians and Georgians all think of it as their own, and you can find variations on it in Middle Eastern countries. It is a testament to its deliciousness that so many different peoples claim it.

You might think of it is a form of chicken salad, because it sort of is. The sauce is made from walnuts, chicken broth and, for a thickener, bread. It is very quick and easy to prepare in a food processor. The only real work involved is stripping the chicken off the bones and tearing it into pieces. Please do not use boneless chicken breasts. I have tried them and they do not have near the succulence of chicken cooked on the bone.


For the chicken:
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
20 black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 large bay leaves
15 sprigs parsley
2 3 1/2 to 4-pound chickens, cut into serving pieces

For the walnut sauce:
4 to 6 slices white sandwich bread (no need to remove the crusts)
1 pound walnut halves (4 cups)
4 or 5 large cloves garlic
1 very small onion, quartered
1 tablespoon Turkish or Aleppo red pepper flakes (or a combination of 2 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika and 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper)
3 cups reserved chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt

Walnut halves for garnish

For the pepper oil:
1/4 cup walnut oil (or peanut oil)
2 teaspoons Turkish or Aleppo pepper flakes (or 1 3/4 teaspoons sweet paprika mixed with 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes or ground cayenne pepper – or a larger proportion of hot pepper, if desired

To cook and prepare the chicken:
Put the onion, carrot, peppercorns, bay leaves and parsley into a 4- to 5 quart pot. Add 2 1/2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, then adjust heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Add the chicken pieces and, if necessary, enough additional water to just cover the chicken. Return the liquid to a simmer, then simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is just done. Let the chicken cool in the broth to room temperature.

When the chicken has cooled, remove it from the pot and skin and bone it. Discard the skin and bones. Tear the chicken meat into small pieces. These can be bit-sized pieces or slightly larger. Place the chicken in a bowl and cover the bowl so the chicken doesn’t dry out.

Strain the chicken broth and reserve.

To make the walnut sauce:
Soak 4 slices of the bread in some of the reserved 3 cups of broth.

Grind the walnuts in a food processor until very fine but not pasty, pulsing at first, then letting the machine run.

Add the soaked bread and any extra broth from the soaking, the garlic, the onion, most but not all of the red pepper, and all the salt to the processor. Add about 2 cups of the chicken broth and process until smooth, pulsing at first, until the ingredients are well mixed and coarsely chopped, then letting the motor run. Add a little more chicken stock if necessary to make the sauce a thick but pourable consistency. Or, conversely, if the sauce is too thin, add more bread (no need to soak it), and process again until the bread is well incorporated.

Taste and check for seasoning. It should not be sharp with pepper, but you may want to add the remaining pepper. You may want to add more garlic, in which case, crush the additional garlic before adding it to the processor bowl. The flavor can also be picked up with a bit more salt. If you have the time, let the sauce stand for an hour or so before adjusting it. The pepper and garlic flavors tend to become more vivid over time.

To assemble and garnish the dish:
Mix about two thirds of the sauce with the chicken pieces, making sure all the chicken is well-coated. Spread the dressed chicken on a serving platter, then spread the remaining walnut sauce over it.

Decorate with the walnut halves. Drizzle with pepper oil (see the next step). Serve chilled or at room temperature. It can be served immediately, but also will keep several days in the refrigerator.

To make the pepper oil, combine the walnut oil and pepper flakes (or alternate paprika and cayenne combination) in a butter warmer, small saucepan or skillet, or a small ramekin. Heat gently on top of the stove or in a microwave. Be careful to only warm the oil. It should not smoke or sizzle. Let stand for up to several days, or until ready to use.