Lemon chicken with za'atar

This recipe comes from The Palestine.

It can be prepared in advance so that, when it is to be eaten, all that is necessary to do at the time, is to put the dish in an oven.  It ideal for entertaining.

It has a lemony and spicy flavour.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 45 Mins

Total Time: 3 Hrs

Ingredients

For 4 servings…

3                    Lemons     

1                    Chicken  - jointed into 6 pieces 

2                    Onions  - cut into 6 pieces       

2 bulbs            Garlic  - skin on, each cut in half across the equator 

2 tbs               Sumac      

¾ tsp              Allspice  - ground     

4 tbs               Za'atar      

90 ml              Olive oil     

200 ml             Stock  - chicken       

                     Pepper  - freshly ground, black  

                     Salt          

5 gms              Parsley  - chopped finely         

30 gms            Almonds  - flaked, toasted       

Method

Slice 2 of the lemons into ½ cm-thick slices and place them in a large mixing bowl.  Finely grate the zest of the remaining lemon and set this aside for later.  Squeeze the same lemon to extract the juice and add this to the mixing bowl - along with the chicken, onions, garlic, sumac, allspice, half the za’atar, 2 tablespoons of the oil, the stock, salt and a good grind of black pepper.  Mix well to combine, cover with a large plate and leave to marinate in a fridge for at least 2 hours (or preferably overnight).

An hour before cooking, take the chicken out of the fridge.  It should be at room temperature before going into the oven.

Heat the oven to 200°C fan.

Transfer the chicken to a large baking tray, skin side up, and pour over all the marinade and lemon slices.  Drizzle the chicken with a tablespoon of oil and bake for 45 minutes, until the chicken is golden and cooked through and the onions have taken on some colour.  Stir everything a stir halfway through.

Transfer to a serving platter along with the lemon slices and any juices that have collected at the bottom of the tray.

Towards the end of the cooking time for the chicken, combine in a bowl the parsley, lemon zest, the remaining 2 tablespoons of za’atar and the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil.  Spoon this over the chicken, finish with the almonds and serve.

Wine recommendations

A robust red wine.

Conventional

     Côtes du Rhône

Interesting

     Corbières

     Côtes du Luberon

     Gaillac