Paleo Middle Eastern Sumac Chicken ( Musakhan)
This warm chicken musakhan will tickle your taste buds in the best way possible. Chicken thighs are heavily scented with sumac and cumin, roasted until golden and crispy, then served over caramelized red onions and paleo flatbread. This dish is the epitome of all paleo Middle Eastern food.
How to Make It
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 200C/400 F and prepare a casserole dish. To a bowl, add 3 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp sumac, 2 tsp cumin, ½ tsp salt, black pepper, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
Step 2
Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and toss to season. Rub the seasoning under the skin and in all the folds and creases. Transfer to the casserole dish.
Step 3
Bake for 30 minutes until the meat is cooked all the way through and the skin is crispy and golden. Meanwhile, to toast the nuts, add the remaining olive oil to a heavy-base pot and add the nuts. Cook on low-medium heat, stirring regularly, for 3-5 minutes until golden.
Step 4
Remove them from the pot using a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pot, and place them on a plate lined with paper towels. Drop the heat to low, and thinly slice the onions. Add them to the pot and stir.
Step 5
Add 1 tbsp sumac, 1 tsp cumin, and ½ tsp salt to the onions. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until super soft. Take the pot off the heat and set it aside.
Step 6
Finally, to prepare the flatbread, add the arrowroot flour and ¼ tsp salt to a bowl. Whisk to incorporate, then add the coconut milk. Whisk until the batter becomes smooth.
Step 7
Place a nonstick pan over medium heat and lightly grease it. Add a cookie scoop’s worth of batter to the pan and spread it using a spoon. Drop the heat to low and cook for 3 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through.
Step 8
Repeat with the remaining batter and place them on a plate. You should get 4 small tortillas at this point. Cover with a plastic bag and set them aside for assembly.
Step 9
By the time you prepare the onions and flatbread, the chicken should be done cooking. Take it out of the oven and set it aside to cool slightly. Don’t discard the juices.
Step 10
To assemble, lay the bread flat onto a serving plate. Pour the chicken juices over the tortillas and let them soak (you can skip this step if you want this meal to be lighter). Add half the onions and spread.
Step 11
Add the chicken and top with the remaining cooked onions. Sprinkle the toasted nuts on top. Garnish with chopped parsley and some lemon slices.
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
7 tbsp
- Ground Sumac Spice
2 tbsp
- Cumin, ground
3 tsp
- Salt
1.25 tsp
- Black pepper
0.25 tsp
- Cinnamon
0.13 tsp
- Chicken thigh with skin
4 large
- Pine nuts
0.25 cup
- Almonds
0.25 cup
- Onion, white, yellow or red, raw
1 large
- Arrowroot flour
0.5 cup
- Coconut milk
0.5 cup
- Parsley
2 tbsp, chopped
- Lemon
4 slice – 1/8 of medium