Msakhan
Fresh bread, generously coated in top-tier olive oil, layered with sumac-seasoned caramelized onions. Topped off with more sumac, succulent chicken, fresh parsley, and a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts for a delightful medley of flavors.
Ingredients
Boiling your chicken:
- 6-8 Chicken leg quarters you can of-course make as much as you'd like
- 1 small Onion, diced
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1/2 tbsp Salt
Season your chicken on a baking sheet: (before baking)
- Adobo add an even layer of each seasoning on your chicken.
- Paprika
- Sumac
Caramelized onions:
- 6 large Red onions, chopped 6 large onions, is enough for 4 medium sized flatbreads
- 2 cups High quality olive oil
- 5 tbsp Sumac
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 - 1 tbsp Black pepper taste to preference
Instructions
Boil your chicken:
- In a large pot, add cleaned chicken leg quarters; bring to a boil.
- Before it reaches a boil you’ll notice foam forming. Skim the top of your water until it runs clear.
- Once your water runs clear and comes to a complete boil; throw in your onion, bay leaves, & salt. Cover your pot, and boil for 30 minutes.
- While your chicken is boiling, time to get started on your onions.
Caramelized onions:
- In a large sauce pan, add your 6 chopped onions as well as your two cups of olive oil. Sauté on medium to high heat.
- Once your onions are nice and soft, throw in your sumac, salt, and black pepper.
- Continue to cook your onions on medium to high heat for a good 30-45 minutes (cover and set to the side when done).
- Now, lets get back to our chicken.
Bake your chicken:
- When your chicken is done boiling, add them to a baking tray. Season with your adobo, paprika and sumac.
- Add some of the chicken broth that you made to the bottom of your tray (to keep them juicy) and bake at the highest temperature your oven goes to for 15 minutes, uncovered
Assemble your Msakhan:
- On a baking tray, begin assembling your Msakhan.
- Take your flat bread and brush on a layer of the chicken broth that you made earlier on both sides.
- Next, rub a generous amount of olive oil on both sides of the bread as well.
- Now, Drain your onions with a strainer. (You can also use the oil that you strained from your onions to coat your bread, instead of using fresh olive oil that I discussed in the pervious step).
- Add a layer of your strained onions on top of your bread. Here is where I like to add a light dusting of sumac once more over the onions, but thats optional.
- Repeat this process 4 times while stacking the bread on top of each-other as you continue.
- Once you get to your 4th layer, add your baked chicken on top after you’ve added your layer of strained onions; time to put it under the broiler for a few minutes.
- Pop your tray under the broiler just until the edges of your bread are crisp (to your liking) then take the tray out.
- Finish your Msakhan off with freshly chopped parsley & toasted pine nuts.
- Cut into pizza like slices, and you’re done!