Baked Chicken With Sumac And Red Onions AKA Mussakhan

Yep, here we have another recipe from Zaitoun by Yasmin Khan.  Am I a bit obsessed?  Who? Me?  Maybe (she shrugs nonchalantly).  I've always loved Middle Eastern dishes, and this one is a corker.  Apparently, it is seen as the Palestinian signature dish.  And I can see why.  The taste lingers in your mouth, and the spices linger in your kitchen.    

One of my fave cookbooks is The Complete Middle East Cookbook by Tess Mallos, which I've had for a looooonnnggg time.  She has a recipe for this, using two whole chickens.  But this is easier, and quicker.  And oh my, so very tasty!  I've made a few small changes to Yasmin's recipe, which pleased the Pickings' palates :-)  I decided to add the hummus and pomegranate molasses, and to use boneless pieces of chicken.  (Mr P. hates bones!) 

dollop on some hummus

Serves 4:


ingredients:


1 kg (2.2 lb) chicken pieces - I used skinless, boneless thigh fillets

3 tbs EV olive oil

1/2 tsp ground cummin

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1½ tbs sumac

juice of 1 lemon - about 50 mL/1.7 fl oz

4 garlic cloves, crushed or chopped finely

1½ tsp sea salt and ¼ tsp ground black pepper

2 large red onions (about 500g/8 oz), finely sliced into half moons

2 tbs pine nuts

1 tbs olive oil to fry the pine nuts

one piece of naan bread per person

a dusting of extra sumac when serving

fresh parsley chopped, for serving

a splash of EV olive oil when serving

hummus, to serve - optional

a splash of pomegranate molasses, to serve - optional


Method:


Place the chicken pieces in a non-reactive baking dish (I used an enamel one) 

Pour on the olive oil, and sprinkle on the spices - cummin, allspice, cinnamon and sumac

Then on goes the lemon juice, the garlic, salt and pepper, and the onions 

Mix well together with your hands, cover the dish with alfoil, and put the whole shebang into the fridge from 1 to 3 hours

Take off the foil and put the dish into a 190C/380F oven for about 50 minutes

Check it at 45 mins., then keep baking for up to 1 hour and 5 mins.

Toast the pine nuts in the extra 1 tbs EVOO for a minute or 2 till golden (don't look away! - so easy to burn 'em - hmm, cough, cough), then drain on kitchen paper

Put the naan on a baking tray and shove into the oven (at 190C) for about 5 mins. to warm up

Give each person a naan, place a few spoonfuls of the chicken and onions on top of the bread

Then splash on a wee bit of extra olive oil, a big dollop of hummus, a sprinkle of sumac, some pine nuts and lots of parsley 

If you fancy, a splash of pomegranate molasses lends a wonderful sweet tang to this dish


Notes:


Yasmin suggests using bone-in, skin-on thighs and drumsticks.  If you choose to do this, make sure you slash the pieces a few times before rubbing in the olive oil, seasoning etc.  She suggests 30-35 minutes for baking, but I found it needed at least an hour!

The onions and garlic can go in the baking dish first as I did; it all gets mixed up together anyway

I bought roasted garlic naan bread; it came as 2 pieces weighing 250g (8 oz).  Hubby ate his piece, and half of mine!  Buy or make gluten-free bread if this is an issue, or have the chicken with rice

FYI - the average lemon holds about 45 mL apparently; this one had about 50 mL/1.7 fl oz

I zapped a whole bunch of fresh parsley in my small food processor; whatever was left was zapped again with a small amount of salt and olive oil, and put into a ziploc bag, then into the freezer

EVOO poured over the onions and garlic

sprinkle on the spices and sumac

then Mr P. does his thing

ready for the fridge for up to 3 hours

after 3 hours in the fridge; ready for baking

after an hour or so in the oven at 190C

toasted pine nuts, chopped parsley and extra sumac

on go the parsley, hummus and pine nuts

splash on some pomegranate molasses for a hint of tangy sweetness 

sumac and red onions artwork © Sherry's Pickings