Sumac-grilled chicken with za'atar potatoes, tahini sauce and lemon-dressed onion

meat Israeli and Mediterranean · easy · 45 min, including 28 hands-on

Juicy grilled pargiyot, marinated with sumac, cumin and paprika, then sprinkled with uncooked sumac, served with golden za'atar-coated potatoes, a ribbon of lemon tahini sauce and crisp red onion.

Ingredients for two

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C fan with the empty baking tray inside. Cut the scrubbed, unpeeled potatoes into 1.5 cm cubes, dry in a tea towel and toss in a mixing bowl with 20 g oil, 6 g za'atar and 2.5 g salt. As soon as the oven reaches temperature (10–12 minutes), take out the hot tray, spread the cubes over it in a single layer — they should sizzle — and roast for 28–32 minutes. Turn halfway through, just after putting the chicken on the griddle in step 5. They are ready when tender in the centre with distinctly golden corners.
2. While the oven heats, mix 10 g oil, 15 g lemon juice, 1 crushed garlic clove, 6 g sumac, the cumin, paprika, 3 g salt and pepper in a bowl. Coat both sides of the opened-out chicken and marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes while the potatoes begin cooking.
3. Slice the red onion very finely and massage for 1 minute with 10 g lemon juice, 1 g sumac and 0.5 g salt. Leave to rest: the slices soften but keep their crunch. Chop the parsley and reserve separately. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges.
4. Make the tahini sauce: whisk 50 g tahini with 1 grated garlic clove, 15 g lemon juice and 1 g salt in a bowl. Gradually add the cold water, whisking constantly. The paste tightens at first, then loosens into a smooth sauce that coats a spoon. If still thick, add 1 tbsp water. Set aside.
5. Ten minutes after the potatoes go into the oven, heat a large ridged grill pan over a medium-high heat for 4 minutes. Scrape the excess marinade and garlic from both sides of the chicken with the back of a spoon; the flavour has already penetrated. Lay the pieces smooth-side down, without overlapping, then immediately turn the potatoes in the oven and return to the chicken. Cook over a medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes on each side, until brown grill marks form, the flesh feels firm and the juices run clear when the thickest part is cut (78–80°C on a thermometer, if available). Lower the heat a little if the garlic colours too quickly; discard any remaining raw marinade.
6. Rest the chicken under foil for 3 minutes. As soon as the potatoes come out of the oven, toss with the remaining 6 g za'atar: adding it now keeps the sesame fragrant. Slice the chicken, or leave whole, sprinkle with the reserved 3 g sumac and drizzle with the remaining 5 g oil. To serve, spoon a ribbon of tahini sauce onto each plate, place the chicken on top, the potatoes alongside, and add the lemon-dressed onion mixed with the parsley and the lemon wedges.

On your plate

Cooking tips

If possible, marinate the chicken in the fridge the day before, without the onion: the meat will have more flavour, and in the evening you only need to put the potatoes in the oven; active time drops to 15 minutes. To finish within 45 minutes when preparing everything that evening, put the potatoes in as soon as the oven reaches temperature and make the onion and tahini sauce while the chicken marinates. Choose unsalted za'atar; if the blend already contains salt, reduce the salt for the potatoes to 1 g. For an Israeli-style meal, serve with 2 warm pitas heated on the grill pan for 2 minutes after the chicken; the dish will then no longer be gluten-free. Matbucha made the day before also makes an excellent starter. Do not serve the za'atar potato starter at the same meal. Reheat the chicken gently in a covered frying pan, keeping the onion, parsley and sauce separate to preserve their freshness.

Equipment : baking tray, 28 cm ridged grill pan, mixing bowl, 2 bowls, garlic press, small whisk, cooking thermometer (optional)

Levantine grills and Israeli pargiyot: sumac, garlic, lemon, za'atar and tahini.