Za’atar Roasted Chicken With Lemons & Olives
Za’atar refers to both the dried leaves of the za’atar plant as well as a blend made with those leaves, sumac, and sesame seeds. Here I start with the pure oregano-like leaves and mix them into a from-scratch blend that’s delicious roasted onto chicken. Lemon and olives roasted with the onions echo the tang of the sumac.
Category
Main Course
Servings/Yield
6
Author
Lior Lev Sercarz, "Mastering Spice"
Ingredients
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2 tablespoons plus 11⁄2 teaspoons dried za’atar leaves (5 grams)
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1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sumac (15 grams)
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1 tablespoon plus 11⁄2 teaspoons dried thyme (3 grams)
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1⁄2 teaspoon black peppercorns, preferably Tellicherry (2 grams)
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3 tablespoons plus 11⁄2 teaspoons white sesame seeds, preferably unhulled (35 grams)
Finely grind the za’atar, sumac, thyme, and peppercorns together and immediately mix with the whole sesame seeds.
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Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 whole chicken (5 pounds)
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1 tablespoon silan (date syrup) or honey
1⁄4 cup sherry vinegar
2 lemons, cut into wedges
1⁄2 cup black kalamata olives, pitted
For the spice blend
For the chicken
Directions
To make the chicken: Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Coat a medium roasting pan with oil (3 to 4 tablespoons). Add the onions, lemons, olives, one-third of the spice blend, and a pinch of salt. Toss until the onions are well coated and spread them in an even layer. Pour the vinegar over the onions.
Line a half sheet pan or other large rimmed pan with parchment paper and set the chicken on the pan. Using a very sharp knife or poultry shears, cut the chicken along one side of the backbone to split it in half. Open the chicken. Arrange the chicken breast-side up and press down on both sides of the breastbone to flatten it.
Drizzle the chicken with oil to coat (1 to 2 tablespoons) and then with the silan. Rub the oil and silan all over the chicken and sprinkle with the remaining spice blend to evenly coat. Sprinkle salt all over the chicken and place it on top of the onions, skin-side up. Scrape any spices and juices from the prep pan over the chicken.
Roast, basting the chicken every 20 minutes, until the skin is evenly browned and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 150°F, about 1 hour. When you stick the cooked chicken with the thermometer, its juices should run clear.
Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving. Serve with onions, lemons, olives, and pan sauce.
Recipe Note
Recipe Notes
The chicken can be butterflied and coated with the oil, silan, and spices and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Do not salt the chicken until you’re ready to cook it or it’ll weep.
In place of the blend above, Za'atar would be a great substitute.
Recipe from "Mastering Spice" by Lior Lev Sercarz.
Photo © Thomas Schauer
Questions? Contact helen@laboiteny.com
