Greek Recipes

Greek and Cypriot recipes

Zirbaya (Chicken in a Sweet Sauce) Byzantine Recipe

Andalusian p. A-8

  • Take a young, cleaned hen and put it in a pot with a little salt, pepper, coriander, cinnamon, saffron and sufficient of vinegar and sweet oil, and when the meat is cooked, take peeled, crushed almonds and good white sugar, four ounces of each; dissolve them in rosewater, pour in the pot and let it boil;then leave it on the embers until the fat rises.
  • It is very nutritious and good for all temperaments; this dish is made with hens or pigeons or doves, or with the meat of a young lamb.
Zirbaya (Chicken in a Sweet Sauce)

Zirbaya (Chicken in a Sweet Sauce)

Ingredients:

  • 1 chicken, 3 lb
  • 1 t salt
  • 1/2 t pepper
  • 1 t coriander
  • 2 t cinnamon
  • 20 threads saffron
  • 2 T wine vinegar
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 4 oz = 2/3 c almonds
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 4 T rosewater
Method:
  • Put cut-up chicken, spices, vinegar, and oil into pot.
  • Bring to boil, cook covered over moderate to low heat 40 minutes, stirring periodically to keep the chicken from sticking.
  • Blanch and grind almonds, mix with sugar and rosewater to make a paste.
  • Stir this in with chicken, bring back to a boil and cook about 8 minutes until sauce thickens.

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