Musakhan
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Whole chicken, cut into pieces — about 1.5 kg (3.3 lb)
- Large onions, thinly sliced — 4
- Ground sumac — 30 g (1 oz)
- Ground allspice — 1 tsp
- Cinnamon — 1/2 tsp
- Olive oil, divided — 180 ml (6 fl oz)
- Taboon or other flatbreads — 4
- Pine nuts, toasted — 35 g (1.25 oz)
- Salt and pepper — to taste
Method
- Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the sliced onions over low heat for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply softened and lightly caramelised.
- Stir in the sumac, allspice and cinnamon, and season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and rub with the remaining olive oil.
- Roast the chicken for 35–40 minutes until golden and cooked through.
- Lay the flatbreads on a baking tray, top generously with the sumac-onion mixture, then arrange the roasted chicken pieces on top.
- Return to the oven for 5–8 minutes to warm through and let the bread soak up the juices.
- Scatter with toasted pine nuts before serving.
Introduction: Roasted chicken piled over sumac-laced caramelised onions on flatbread, Palestine's most celebrated and beloved national dish.
Cultural Background: Musakhan holds deep symbolic importance in Palestinian cuisine, traditionally prepared during the olive harvest season using freshly pressed olive oil, its tangy sumac and sweet onion combination a defining flavour of Palestinian identity.
Tips: Cook the onions low and slow — patience here is essential for the deep, sweet caramelisation that defines musakhan. Use good-quality sumac for the characteristic tangy, slightly citrusy flavour.
Variations: Add a little extra olive oil drizzled over the finished dish, as many Palestinian families do generously. Serve with a simple side salad of tomato and cucumber.
Storage: Refrigerate the chicken and onion mixture separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days; bread is best fresh.
Reheating: Reheat the chicken and onions gently in an oven at 160°C (325°F); assemble on fresh or reheated bread.
FAQs:
Q: Why is musakhan associated with the olive harvest?
A: Traditionally, it was prepared to celebrate and make use of the season's freshly pressed olive oil, and it remains closely tied to this harvest tradition.
Q: What is sumac?
A: A tangy, deep red spice made from ground dried sumac berries, giving Palestinian cooking its distinctive citrusy sourness.
- Whole chicken, cut into pieces — about 1.5 kg (3.3 lb)
- Large onions, thinly sliced — 4
- Ground sumac — 30 g (1 oz)
- Ground allspice — 1 tsp
- Cinnamon — 1/2 tsp
- Olive oil, divided — 180 ml (6 fl oz)
- Taboon or other flatbreads — 4
- Pine nuts, toasted — 35 g (1.25 oz)
- Salt and pepper — to taste
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