Circassian Chicken with Walnuts

1 large chicken
1 k walnut meats
5 dried red peppers
4 cloves garlic
4 slices of bread, crusts removed
Salt to taste
2 t coriander
½ t black pepper
6 c chicken broth

1. Wash and simmer the chicken, remove meat from bones, and shred.
2. Boil the dried peppers, remove the seeds.
3. Combine a cup of the walnut meats, peppers, garlic and bread and run through a meat grinder.
4. Put the rest of the walnuts through the grinder, press and reserve the oil in a cup. Combine the ground nuts with the previously ground mixture.
5. To this ground mixture add the cold chicken broth and salt, mix well.
6. Place the shredded meat on a serving dish and pour the walnut mixture over it. Drizzle the reserved walnut oil over the top.

Note: If you were unable to extract the walnut oil, heat some oil in a pan and add some red pepper, the drizzle this over the dish.

Source: Makbule Berkok / Shapsygh

Salat Boza

1 kg barley
2 kg wheat flour
1 c old boza as starter
Sugar to taste
1 cup dried Russian olive fruits
1 c raisins

1. Wet the barley and leave in a shady place to sprout. Once it has sprouted, dry it in the sun and grind to a flour in a mill. This is known as “salat.”
2. Mix the wheat flour and water to make a paste, add the old boza and allow to stand a day to sour. Add water to thin the paste, then cook slowly on a low flame to thicken. This is called “begene.”
3. Pass the begene through a very fine sieve, adding water. The liquid that collects below the sieve should be about the consistency of a thin batter. Add sugar, the Russian olives and the raisins.
4. Add the sprouted barley flour to this mixture and leave it in a warm place.
5. After it has fermented (a few days), cool, and it will be ready to drink.

Note:

1. Boza can be made from corn and millet as well.
2. Another name for boza is “caldan.”

Source: Habibat Küçükbatır / Karachay-Malkar

Sources: Nimet Berkok Toygar, Kâmil Toygar, North Caucasian Culinary Culture And Foods: Şapsığ-Abzah-Hatkoy-Kabartay-Besney-Abaza- Ubıh-Asetin-Çeçen-Dağıstan-Karaça Malkar,Takav Press, No: 512,Ankara, 1994.