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Mussakhan (roast chicken with sumac and red onions)
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 1kg chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin on
- 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
- ½tsp ground cumin
- ½tsp ground allspice
- ¼tsp ground cinnamon
- 1½tsp sumac, plus extra to dust
- juice 1 lemon
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 large red onions (around 500g), finely sliced into half-moons
- 2tbsp pine nuts
- 1tbsp light olive oil
- naan or Arabic taboon bread, to serve
- parsley leaves, chopped, to serve
Method
Slash the flesh of each piece of chicken diagonally a few times, around 2cm apart, then place the meat in a large bowl. Pour over the extra virgin olive oil, spices, lemon juice, garlic, 11/2tsp salt and 1/4tsp pepper and rub into the meat.
Add the red onion and toss well. Cover and leave in the fridge to marinate for between 1-3 hours. When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Transfer the meat to a baking tray and roast for around 35 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear when pierced at their thickest part.
Cover in foil and leave to rest while you prepare the toppings. Fry the pine nuts in the oil for around 1 minute or so until they turn golden brown, then tip onto kitchen paper to drain. To serve, toast the bread and then place the chicken and onions on top.
Finish with the pine nuts, sumac and parsley. Drizzle over any remaining roasting juices so they soak into the bread, then drizzle over a little more olive oil.
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