Musakhan — Palestinian Sumac Chicken Flatbread

What you’ll need

Ingredients

Ingredient amounts make 4 servings. Nutrition below is for one serving.

• 700 g Raw boneless skinless chicken thigh
• 600 g Onion, peeled
• 240 g Plain wheat pita or taboon-style flatbread, total weight
• 60 g Olive oil
• 16 g Ground sumac seasoning (sumac and salt)
• 3 g Ground allspice
• 1 g Ground black pepper
• 4 g Fine salt
• 20 g Pine nuts
• 60 ml Water, plus extra for washing or soaking as directed

Make it

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat a conventional oven to 210°C (190°C fan). Cut the chicken into 5 cm pieces and toss with 15 g oil, 4 g sumac, 1 g allspice, half the pepper and 2 g salt. Spread in a single layer in a roasting dish.

2. 2

   Roast chicken for about 25–30 minutes, turning once, until its thickest centre reaches 74°C. Keep all cooked juices for the onions; do not use raw chicken juices as a finishing sauce.

3. 3

   Meanwhile slice onions thinly. Heat the remaining 45 g oil in a wide heavy pan, add onions and the remaining 2 g salt, and cook over medium-low heat for 25–30 minutes, stirring often until soft and sweet, not burnt. Add the 60 ml water in small splashes if sticking.

4. 4

   Stir the remaining 12 g sumac, 2 g allspice and pepper into the onions. Add the fully cooked chicken juices and simmer together for 2 minutes. Toast pine nuts in a dry small pan over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly.

5. 5

   Arrange four 60 g flatbreads on trays. Share all onions and their oil, chicken and pine nuts equally over them. Bake 5–8 minutes until the bread edges are crisp. Serve one complete flatbread per person; count any additional oil or sauces separately.