Baked Chicken with Onions, Sumac and Allspice (Musakhan)
Musakhan is a Palestinian country dish of chicken baked over a thick bed of slow-cooked onions. The onions are the point: a full 3½ pounds, cooked down until translucent and tossed with tart sumac and a little allspice. They soak into the flatbread beneath the chicken, so the bread becomes the best part of the plate. Pine nuts fried in olive oil add crunch, and cool yoghurt balances the sourness.
Instructions
Cut the chicken into two breasts, two thighs, two legs and two wings. Season the pieces with salt and pepper.
Heat ¼ cup of the olive oil in a large, deep pot over medium heat. Brown the chicken lightly on all sides, which takes about 20 minutes, then remove it and set it aside.
Add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil to the same pot and cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they turn translucent. This takes about 35 minutes.
Stir in the sumac and allspice and cook for 2 minutes so they blend into the onions. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Lay the split flatbread across the bottom of a 9 x 12-inch baking dish. Spoon half the onions over the bread, arrange the chicken on top, then cover with the remaining onions and the juices from the pot.
Bake for about 1½ hours, until the chicken is golden and crisp on top and nearly falling off the bone.
Toast the pine nuts in a little olive oil in a pan until golden. Scatter them over the chicken and serve with yoghurt.
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