A Persian Waldorf – Salad-e-Shah Abbasi

Name: A Persian Waldorf – Salad-e-Shah Abbasi
Cuisine: Iran
Ingredients: 2 tbsp water; 3 tbsp apple vinegar; pinch of ground saffron steeped in 2–3 tsp.boiling water; 2 tbsp.creamed labneh (or use cream cheese); salt and freshly ground black pepper; pinch of ground saffron steeped in 2–3 tsp.boiling water; 2 sticks of celery; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 pickled Iranian cucumbers (or use regular gherkins but not sweet ones); 2 pickled Iranian cucumbers (or use regular gherkins but not sweet ones); 2 tsp dried dill; 75 g/2¾ oz/½ cup shelled walnut quarters; 2 quince(s); 2 cloves; 2 cardamom pods, cracked; 1 tbsp sugar

Preparation info

To Serve
4–6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Salmagundi

By Sally Butcher

Published 2014

About

The Iranian equivalent of the Waldorf Astoria would probably be the Shah Abbas hotel in Isfahan: it’s dead posh and very old.

Ingredients

2 quince(s)
2 cloves
2 cardamom pods, cracked
1

Asia
Iran
Gluten-free
Vegetarian

Method

Peel and quarter the quinces (leaving the core in) and place them in a small saucepan. Add the spices, sugar and vinegar together with the water and bring the liquid to the boil. Poach/steam the fruit for about 15 minutes (you are looking merely to soften the quince, not to poach it to oblivion). Using a knife and a fork, remove the fruit quarters from the stock, slice out the cores, and lower