Persian Baked Stuffed Melon Recipe

Persian Baked Stuffed Melon Recipe Submitted by poultrygeist

Ingredients for Persian Baked Stuffed Melon:

• 1 whole Honeydew Melon
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• ½ lb chicken breast, diced
• 2 cups couscous
• ½ cup dried apricots
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method for Persian Baked Stuffed Melon:

1. Prepare the melon: Trim bottom of melon so that it sits flat in a baking dish.
2. Remove the top of the melon jack-o-lantern style and set aside to use as a lid.
3. Remove seeds.
4. Melt butter in a saucepan and sauté onion until tender.
5. Add chicken, couscous, and apricots – simmer on low heat until chicken is cooked through.
6. Add honey, and cinnamon – mix thoroughly.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Stuff the melon, replace lid and place in a baking dish.
9. Bake in 350° oven for about 1 hour until melon is tender.

Enjoy.

Kavun dolmasi or baked stuffed melon is one of those dishes that has existed since the 15th century, maybe even earlier and tastes of Arabia & North Africa with the mix of sweetness and aromatic spices.

It’s the type of dish that would be prepared in the house and then taken to the local baker in village or – who not only baked bread but all the dishes for the locals who didn’t have ovens.

This idea of the baker cooking your oven dishes was common in this country and a baker’s popularity wasn’t based just on his bread but on his oven managing skills.