Chicken Musakhan
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 4 medium sized chicken breasts, bone-in, skin on or off
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 3 tablespoons sumac
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 cup pine nuts
- 3 medium red onions, thinly sliced
- 3 naan breads
- 1 lemon, sliced into wedges for serving
- plain Greek yogurt, for serving
- parsley leaves, roughly chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large shallow bowl, combine and mix; 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1-1/2 teaspoon sumac, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Add the chicken breasts and coat them with the spice mixture.
- Transfer the chicken breasts to the baking sheet. Roast the chicken for about 30 minutes or until instant-read-thermometer registers 160 F. Remove from oven, cover with foil, and set a side.
- Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring until they are golden about 3-4 minutes. Transfer the pine nuts to a plate lined with paper towels, reserve the oil in the pan. Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil to the sauté pan. Add the sliced red onions and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Continue to cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and pale golden but not caramelized. Add the 2 tablespoons of sumac, remaining 2 teaspoons of cumin, and some freshly ground black pepper. Stir to mix and then remove from the heat and set aside.
- Just before serving; preheat the broiler and tear the naan bread into fourths. Put the naan pieces on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes, just to crisp the bread slightly.
- To serve: Arrange the naan bread on a platter. Top the bread with half of the onions, followed by the chicken and any juices left in the pan. (I like to tear the chicken breasts into 3 to 4 pieces before placing them on the bread). Top the chicken with the remaining onions, followed by the pine nuts, parsley, a sprinkling of sumac and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with plain Greek yogurt and lemon wedges.