Redgate Kitchen

Ottolenghi flavors with simplified prep

This dish is so easy to prepare that you almost feel that it couldn’t possibly be based on anything that came out of Yotam Ottolenghi’s kitchen. My version of this chicken is based on the recipe in his first cookbook Ottolenghi: The Cookbook. The simplicity of tossing all of the ingredients together, marinating, and then roasting makes this an impressive dish with little effort. The combo of red onions, garlic, lemon, and warm spices including za’atar, sumac, and cinnamon make this dish colorful, tasty, and blissfully aromatic.

ingredients

• 1 whole cut up chicken with skin and bones
• 2 red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp Za’atar
• 1 tbsp Sumac
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Topping:

• 6 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

steps

1. Slice two red onions and one lemon. Toss them into a big bowl.
2. Add in all the other ingredients: cut up chicken, za’atar, sumac, cinnamon, olive oil, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and two crushed garlic cloves.

3. Toss the chicken with the marinade ingredients and make sure to coat evenly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least three hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Transfer the chicken and all the marinade ingredients to a rimmed sheet pan large enough to hold all of the chicken pieces without them overlapping.

5. Roast for approximatley 40-45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Check the temperature (meatiest part of the breast should be 165 F).
6. I like to sprinkle the pine nuts on top of the sheet pan for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Alternatively, you can brown them in a skillet and pour on top of the roasted chicken when it is done.
7. If you like the skin browned, turn the oven up to broil for the last few minutes of cooking, until the chicken is golden brown and crisp on top.
8. Sprinkle the chicken with chopped parsley and enjoy!