Mussakhan
Serves: 4
The day before: marinade chicken,
make onion filling
For chicken
2 whole chickens cut into 6 pieces
each
5 tbsp ground sumac
3 tbsp garlic
3 lemons, juiced
3 tbsp oil
.5 tsp salt
.5 tsp pepper
1.) Mix all ingredients minus the
chicken until well blended.
2.) Coat chicken with marinade and
put in fridge for 12-24 hours
Onion filling
2 large onions, sliced
3 tbsp sumac
½ lemon
3 tbsp maple
½ cup red wine
2 tbsp butter
1.) Heat butter in large pan over
medium heat
2.) Add onions sumac, and large
pinch of salt to pan, cook for 30 minutes till caramelized, stir often
3.) Add maple, wine, and juice of
lemon and cook until dry and syrupy, refrigerate overnight
The day of service
12 oz pita w/pocket
1.25 c pine nuts (toasted)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp oil
¼ cup of chicken stock or red wine
Salt and pepper
1.) Preheat oven to 350 f
2.) Heat a large saute pan over medium with 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter
3.) Season chicken generously with
salt and pepper and add chicken in one layer approx 4 min per side
4.) Repeat step 4 until all
chicken is browned
5.) In a oiled 10” cake pan put
down one pita, spread some onion filling and sprinkle with pine nuts
6.) Repeat step 5 and make sure to
finish with a pita topped with the remaining onion and pine nuts mixtures.
7.) Top with chicken and pour wine
or stock into the tray so it’s on the bottom
8.) Bake in oven covered with foil
for 35-40 minutes until chicken is cooked
9.) Let chicken rest for 5 minutes
and cut pita into 4 wedges, serve each with a leg, breast, and wing.
Notes
I am a firm believer that Middle
Eastern cuisine is some of the best. I
made this dish in school and couldn’t wait to recreate the flavors. That punch of the sumac balanced with the
sweet onions is a flavor combination I didn’t want to forget. I added the glazed onions as my own personal
touch so it says
