-
1
Take a large pot and add your water, whole onion, bay leaves, pepper, sea salt and chicken over high heat.
-
2
Do not add any oil as the chicken has enough fat.
-
3
Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer on low for 45 minutes, until the meat is nearly falling off the bones.
-
4
Once it is cooked, discard the onion and bay leaves.
-
5
Take out your chicken and put aside to cool.
-
6
Strain the broth and keep it on hand for later.
-
7
Once your chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat apart from the bones and place meat in a separate bowl.
-
8
Discard the bones.
-
9
You can keep the chicken meat in large shreds for a main course or shred them finely for a fantastic appetizer.
-
10
Its up to you.
-
11
I do both for different occasions.
-
12
Take your day-old bread and rub it in your hands over a mixing bowl until you have fine crumbs or use your food processor on pulse.
-
13
You are aiming for fine bread crumbs.
-
14
Take your walnuts and either pound them with a mortar and pestle (my favorite!)
-
15
or whiz them up in a food processor with the olive oil.
-
16
Again, crush, pound or micro-plane your garlic so there are no chunks.
-
17
Mix your walnuts, bread crumbs and garlic together.
-
18
Slowly add your strained broth, ladle by ladle, until you achieve a paste.
-
19
Dont add too much you just want to reach paste consistency.
-
20
Add a little salt to taste.
-
21
Now, mix the paste and your shredded chicken, ladling in the remaining broth.
-
22
You do not need to use all the broth.
-
23
Once your chicken, paste and broth mixture is moist but not sloppy it should be creamy for a main course and spreadable as an appetizer melt the remaining butter gently over medium low heat and add the paprika to the butter.
-
24
Remove from heat as the butter will begin to smoke and you dont want that.
-
25
Move your chicken mixture to a flat serving dish.
-
26
You should have a reddish-brown butter to pour evenly over your chicken as a garnish that will flavor it like you would not believe.
-
27
We traditionally serve this with corn bread but any dense sour bread or crusty bread will do.
-
28
Trust me this is very special.
