Circassian Chicken

As the name suggests, Sharkaseya originated in the Caucasus and made its way to Cairo via Ottoman court pashas. It is a special ancestral dish for Cairene families of Turkish heritage. Tender chicken in a creamy walnut sauce is served on mastic scented rice.

In sharing her family recipe below, Shahira Mehrez Hanem recalls how extra walnuts were pounded into a fragrant oil then poured into small dishes for guests to add a final drizzle to their plate - a ritua