This super flavoursome recipe for tray-baked chicken is easy to prepare any night of the week. From Yotam Ottolenghi’s first cookbook The Ottolenghi Cookbook, it was also published in The Guardian.
The original recipe uses a whole chicken cut into pieces. I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. In a large bowl, combine 2 thinly sliced red onions, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, 60ml (2 fl oz) of olive oil, 1½ teaspoons of ground allspice (pimento), 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of sumac, 1 thinly sliced lemon, 200ml (6¾ fl oz) of chicken stock, 1½ teaspoons of salt and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Add the chicken pieces and allow them to marinate for a few hours or even overnight. When you’re ready to cook heat your oven to 220ºC (430ºF). Place the chicken pieces in a large oven tray skin side up and pour in the marinade. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of za’atar and roast for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is just cooked through. Meanwhile, melt 20g (¾ oz) of butter in a small pan and add 50g (1¾ oz) of pine nuts and a pinch of salt (if your butter is unsalted). Fry over moderate heat until golden, then drain and set aside. To serve, scatter with the pine nuts and some chopped fresh parsley.
michelle picker cooks 