Friday’s Fare: Mussakhan Chicken from Nazareth

Welcome to Friday’s Fare! Just in time for the weekend, Friday’s Fare is my attempt to recreate some of the fabulous dishes we had during our Mediterranean travels. Whether you’re in culinary blahsville and looking for inspiration or having an impromptu dinner party and wonder what to serve, stick around for the authentic and sometimes even healthy EATS I’ll be posting most Fridays.

Over the course of five years aboard Chrysalis, we were able to travel to over thirteen countries, each with a unique interpretation of common ingredients. People sometimes ask me which country had the best food and I am uncertain how to respond because much of what makes a memorable meal surrounds the complete sensory experience including the story behind what has brought you to a particular table in the first place. I recall one long day in Florence, Italy when the four of us had been hiking through a maze of narrow, cobblestone streets for what seemed like hours, trying to find a museum and a couple art galleries. Finally, late in the afternoon and famished, we ended up at Piazza del Duomo in a small delicatessen complete with red checked tablecloths. The simple prosciutto, melting mozzarella, and basil pesto panini was about as magical as anything I’ve eaten as evidenced by the groans of ecstasy. In strictly euphoric terms, I would compare it to the five course prix fixe dinner we had at a fancy place in Istanbul.  There are more things at work here than just the palate and the victuals.

Here in Florida, we are fortunate to be near several Middle Eastern, mainly Israeli, markets. When we first moved back, I was happy to find the same soft pita’s I used to pick up warm from the oven every other day from the large market where Chrysalis was docked in Herzliya, Israel.  Even now, biting into one catapults me to the Middle East, triggering the neurons in my brain to conjure up visions of big tubs of hummus, eggplant and pepper salad, and shawarma. On another market visit, one bite of falafel, crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, snug with salad in a pita, and I am back in Jerusalem walking through the Arab Quarter.

Just the other day I was poking around the spice section, and came across the pungent sumac, and it reminded me of the journey we took by rental car from Herzliya to the Sea of Galilee stopping in Nazareth along the way. After spending the morning walking through open air markets, seeing the Basilica of Annunciation and Mary’s Well, we stopped along Paulus HaShishi at a small restaurant for lunch. The menu was in Arabic and Hebrew, and since we were uncertain of what most things were, our server suggested in broken English that we try the Mussakhan: chicken. Sounded pretty safe, so why not, we said.

A large platter of salads arrived first. Small white round bowls held fatoush or parsley salad which we, being the kind of family we are, immediately loved for the pronunciation of the title alone (and this led to us saying things like “you’re such a FATOUSH!” and “Get your FATOUSH over here”).  Also on the platter: eggplant salad, pickled eggs and beets, and hefty, green olives.  Next came the Mussakhan: two large platters containing half a roasted chicken each (that I learned later had been marinated in lemon, olive oil, sumac and za’atar)on a toasted pita with sautéed onions and pine nuts along with reserved marinade for dipping both pita and chicken. Later on that week, while perusing a trendy bookstore, I paid far too much for an Israeli cookbook just because it contained the recipe for Mussakhan. You can’t do justice describing the deliciousness of a meal like this so here it is for you to try out at your next dinner party. It’s a no-fail, no brainer, easy dish to whip up. The blend of lemon, sumac, and za’atar is so different than the smells and tastes we typically experience here in North America. It will inevitably have your friends sniffing the air while they make their way to the kitchen (or galley) to ask, “What the heck is that unbelievable smell? I’ve never smelled anything like it!”  I’m also including the description of fatoush salad, a fabulous accompaniment.

I apologize. Normally in Friday’s Fare I want to include recipes that use easy to find ingredients, stuff you can get at the local grocery store. Unfortunately, sumac and za’atar can be a tad difficult to track down and there are no real substitutes for them in this dish. Za’atar is considered the herb of Israel, a cousin to oregano, thyme, and marjoram, yet still distinct. Sumac has Arabian roots but is widely used in Israel. It has a sour tang and is used to season kabobs, fish, or eggs. In a dish combined, the flavor is bound to wake up your taste buds. Check your local Mediterranean or specialty markets. Back in Montana, my aunt was able to beg both spices from her server at a favorite Middle Eastern restaurant and he returned to her table with two generous bags, compliments of the chef. If you’re still having difficulty, you can order from www.thespicehouse.com which conveniently includes further recipes you can try using these spices. It’s worth tracking down.  This recipe comes from the cookbook I bought in Herzliya. I’ve made a few small adjustments.

Mussakhan-Nazareth Lemon Chicken (originally coming from Arabia)

I use Rock Cornish Hens because I find ½ a hen a nice individual portion, but feel free to use whatever you prefer. Boneless chicken breasts work just as well.

3-4 Rock Cornish Hens or equivalent of your fave chicken pieces

Juice of 2 lemons

¾ C Olive oil

2-4 cloves crushed garlic-to your taste

Very generous pinch of each: cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric

Salt and Pepper— to your taste

1 T Za’atar

1 T Sumac

1 onion thinly sliced

3-4 T pine nuts

Rinse the hens, dry and cut in half. Set aside. In a bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt/pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, za’atar, and sumac. Pour in a large Ziploc bag and add hens or chicken pieces marinating in fridge for 6-8 hours, turning the bag over occasionally. Remove hens/chicken pieces from marinade and heat marinade in a separate serving bowl to boiling in the microwave. Set aside marinade. Roast hens in a tagine or oven for about an hour at 350, or until cooked through. Or, you can grill the chicken on the barbeque—also delicious.

When hens/chicken is about finished, saute sliced onions and pine nuts in 2-3 T of hen marinade. Put cooked chicken on a large serving platter and scatter onion/pine nuts on top. Sprinkle with a little more sumac and drizzle with a little more marinade, passing the rest at the table.  Recipe serves 6 approximately. (1/2 a Cornish hen for each person)

Serve with fatoush salad, fruited couscous, and pitas if desired.

Fatoush Salad

This salad has everything: the freshness of mint, parsley, and lemon, alongside the crunch of pomegranate seeds and toasted pita.

3 tomatoes, diced

2 cucumbers, diced

½ red onion, diced

1-2 avacados, diced

1 green pepper, diced

½ C chopped mint

½ C. chopped parsley

1-2 pitas, brushed with olive oil that have been toasted in the oven so that they are crispy then broken into pieces.

Seeds of 1 pomegranate

1-2 Lemons (to taste), honey, olive oil, salt/pepper

Mix everything together in a large bowl. Squeeze lemon juice over all. Drizzle with honey and olive oil, and salt/pepper to taste.