Chicken with Walnuts (Albanian Pule me arra)

Pule me arra is an easy to make delicious chicken dish from Albania. The crushed walnuts add a lovely nutty flavour and texture to this dish. Simply flavoured with minced garlic. I chose a chicken dish as the main, as many Albanians raise their own. This dish can also be made the same using veal and would be called Gjellë me Arra. However, lamb is the most prevalent meat consumed in Albania. Beef and rabbit are also used in many dishes.

2 lbs chicken breast or thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into 1” cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
2 egg yolk, beaten
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
¼ lb or 1 stick of butter, divided

Place the chicken or veal into a skillet and cook over medium heat until tender.

Remove the meat and set aside, leaving the remaining juices in the pan.

In a saucepan, add the flour and sauté over medium heat until it becomes a light brown color, making sure to not overcook. Add in one half stick of butter.

Once melted, add the crushed walnuts, minced garlic, two egg yolks and stir constantly.

Add in the juices from the skillet and sauté until the ingredients thicken, taking care to not let the egg yolks solidify. Add in the cooked veal or chicken. Melt the other ½ stick of butter until a lightly golden brown.

Pour over the four servings.

Makes 4 servings.