Recipe Manuscript

فستقية

Name: فستقية
Prep time: PTPT15M
Cook time: PTPT35M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 400-500g chicken breast (or 1 whole chicken breast); 1-1.5 liters water; 1-2 tsp salt; 100g shelled pistachios (unsalted, raw); 200g sugar

"Pistachio Dish"

1200

From the treasured pages of Kitāb al-ṭabīkh

Written by Ibn al-Karīm, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan

Medieval (500 - 1400)Middle Eastern Intermediate Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1200

Original Manuscript(circa Medieval, 500 - 1400)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

فستقية

"صنعتها ان تؤخذ صدور الدجاج فتسلق في ماء ويسير ملح نصف سلقة. ثم تنشف منه، ويزال اللحم من على العظام، وينسل حتى يبقى كالخيوط، ويعاد الى القدر، ويصب عليه غمره ماء. ثم يؤخذ قدر الحاجة من الفستق المقشور فيرض في الهاون، ويلقى في القدر ويحرك. ثم يغلى غلية. فاذا قارب النضج القي عليه وزن مثلي الفستق سكراً. ثم لا يزال يحرك حتى ينعقد ويرفع."

English Translation

"To make it, take chicken breasts, boil them in water with a little salt until half-cooked. Then remove them from the water, remove the meat from the bones, and shred it until it is like threads. Return it to the pot and pour over it enough water to cover. Take the needed amount of peeled pistachios, pound them in a mortar, add them to the pot, and stir. Let it boil once. When it is almost done, add sugar in an amount double the weight of the pistachios. Continue stirring until it thickens, then remove from heat."

Note on the Original Text

The original recipe was concise and assumed the reader held prior knowledge of cookery techniques, like parboiling, shredding, and thickening with sugar. Quantities were relative, often described in terms of ratios (e.g., 'twice the weight of pistachios in sugar'), reflecting both the scarcity of precise measuring tools and the trust in a cook's judgment. Spelling in the Arabic manuscript reflects premodern conventions. For example, 'فستقية' (fustuqiyya) refers to a dish based on pistachios, derived from 'fustuq'. The manuscript may omit vowels, as was common in classical Arabic, trusting the educated reader to supply them from context.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Kitāb al-ṭabīkh - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Kitāb al-ṭabīkh (1200)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Ibn al-Karīm, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan

Era

1200

Publisher

Maṭbaʻat Umm al-Rabīʻayn

Background

Step back into the sumptuous kitchens of the medieval Islamic world with this early collection of culinary wisdom. Savor recipes, tips, and gastronomic secrets that once delighted the palates of princes and poets alike.

Kindly made available by

NYU/ American University of Beirut

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe, entitled 'Fustuqiyya', comes to us from the medieval city of Mosul and was written by Ibn al-Karim in the late 12th to early 13th century. He was part of an era blossoming with culinary experimentation and luxury: cookery books like his showcase the sophistication and inventiveness of the medieval Islamic world. The 'fustuqiyya' is a playful, almost confection-like dish that reflects the lavish use of sugar and nuts that became prevalent after Arab cooks learned new techniques and were introduced to exotic ingredients via the vast Silk Road trade networks. Mosul, a crossroads of commerce, would have enjoyed ready access to spices, sugar, and pistachios, making such dishes feasible for the wealthy elite.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the medieval kitchen, the primary tools would have been a large cauldron or heavy pot set over a wood or charcoal fire for boiling the chicken, a slotted spoon for removing the meat, and a sturdy stone or brass mortar and pestle for crushing pistachios. A wooden spoon or spatula would be used for stirring the mixture as the sugar caramelizes and thickens with the chicken and pistachios. All of this was likely done on an open hearth, requiring careful attention to prevent scorching and to judge by sight and smell when the sugar mixture had 'set'.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Servings

Ingredients

14-18 oz chicken breast (or 1 whole chicken breast)
4-6 1/4 cups water
1/3-2/3 tbsp salt
3 1/2 oz shelled pistachios (unsalted, raw)
7 oz sugar

Instructions

Begin by taking the breasts of a whole chicken (about 14 to 18 ounces) and simmering them gently in around 4 1/4 cups of water with a generous pinch (about 1/3 to 2/3 tablespoon) of salt until half-cooked, roughly 10 minutes.
Remove the chicken, drain, and let cool.
Shred or pull the meat into fine threads, discarding bones and skin.
Return the shredded chicken to a clean pot, cover with fresh water (about 3 1/4 cups), and bring to a gentle simmer.
Meanwhile, take 3 1/2 ounces of shelled pistachios and crush them finely using a mortar and pestle (or, in modern times, a food processor).
Add the pistachio paste to the simmering chicken and stir well.
Cook together for another 10-15 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
Once nearly cooked, add 7 ounces of sugar (double the weight of pistachios), stirring continuously until the mixture thickens and becomes glossy, almost like a preserve or sticky confection.
Remove from heat once set, and let cool before serving.

Estimated Calories

420 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing the ingredients takes about 15 minutes, including shredding the chicken and crushing the pistachios. Cooking the chicken, simmering with pistachios, and thickening with sugar takes about 35 minutes total. Each serving has about 420 calories, and this recipe makes 4 servings.