Recipes
Sumac Chicken (Musakhan)
Author:
Carolyn King, adapted from Thuraya_delights and Mediterranean Dish
Servings
4-6 servings
Prep Time
8 hours
"I have been making this beautifully spiced dinner on repeat! It is so tasty and worth the effort."
Ingredients
For spice mixture:
-
2 Tbsp ground Cured Sumac
- 2 tsp ground Sweet Allspice
- 1 tsp ground Royal Cinnamon
-
1 Tbsp ground Red River Coriander
-
2 tsp Wind-Blown Sea Salt
-
1 tsp ground Robusta Black Peppercorns
- ½ tsp ground Cloud Forest Cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground Grenada Gold Nutmeg
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (to carry the spices and protect the chicken)
- ½ tsp Silk Chili Flakes
For the chicken:
-
6 chicken bone-in, skin-on thighs (you can mix in legs, too)
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Cured Sumac
- 1½ tsp of spice mixture above
For the onions:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 6 yellow onions, chopped
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ - ¾ cup ground Cured Sumac, more for later
- 1 Tbsp Wild Mountain Cumin
- 2 tsp of spice mixture above
For the pine nuts:
- ⅓ – ½ cup toasted pine nuts
-
6 flatbreads, such as pita bread or naan
Directions
Make the spice mixture. In a small bowl, combine sumac, allspice, cinnamon, coriander, sea salt, pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and chili. Mix well.
Prepare and cook the chicken. Pat chicken pieces dry and place them on a lightly oiled sheet pan (or roasting pan). Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil, season with kosher salt on both sides. Add 1 tsp sumac and 1½ -2 Tbsp of the spice mixture. Give the chicken a good rub with your hands, making sure to get the spices underneath the skin. Let marinade in the refrigerator for 8–24 hours.
When ready to cook, take chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes beforehand.
Preheat oven to 425 °F.
Arrange the chicken pieces skin side up and place on the middle rack of your heated oven. Roast for about 40–45 minutes or until fully cooked (internal temperature should register 165 °F.)
Prepare caramelized onion mixture for flatbread. While the chicken is roasting, work on the caramelized onions. In a large cooking skillet, put just over 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, chopped onions, kosher salt, 1 Tbsp sumac, 1 Tbsp cumin, and 2 tsp of the spice mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, adding a little bit of water (2 Tbsp or so at a time) as needed, until the onions have softened and cooked completely (about 30 to 40 minutes). Remove from heat.
Check on the chicken, and if ready, remove from the oven. Pour any roasting pan juices into the caramelized onions. Cover chicken loosely with aluminum foil for about 15 minutes, while you assemble the flatbreads.
Assemble flatbreads. Turn on your broiler. To assemble flatbreads, dip the edges of each bread in the oil on the surface of the onion mixture. Arrange flatbreads on a large baking sheet (you may do a couple flatbreads at a time). Spread enough of the caramelized onion mixture on the surface of each flatbread, leaving a small border around the edge (like pizza). Add a generous sprinkle of sumac. Add toasted pine nuts. Place under the broiler briefly (2 to 4 mins), watching carefully, until edges and onion mixture are nicely browned.
When flatbreads are ready, top each with a chicken portion. Enjoy!