Musakhan (Sumac Crusted Chicken & Onions)

Описание: Musakhan’s simple ingredients — bread, onion, chicken, olive oil, and sumac — contribute to
its popularity, and it’s considered the national dish of Palestine. This dish, traditionally eaten by hand, is guaranteed to leave you
with messy fingers that you will be unable to resist licking clean. I refuse to eat it any other way! Try it and see.

Makes 6 servings

2 chickens (1.25kg each), quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tbsp sumac
3 bay leaves
1 lemon

8 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt
3/4 cup ground sumac
3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup almonds
6 taboon breads

Directions:
1 - Preheat your oven to 350F. Prepare a baking tray lined with wax paper.
2 - Brush the chicken with olive oil on both sides; sprinkle evenly with allspice, cinnamon, salt, pepper and sumac. Arrange on a baking tray; add the bay leaves and squeeze the lemon on top.
3 - Bake in the oven for 50 minutes until skin is crispy, check for doneness.
4 - Meanwhile, slice the large onions lengthwise into thin slices and place in a bowl.
5 - In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil, add the sliced onion and turn to coat. Sprinkle with salt to help the onions wilt and add a little more olive oil; cook stirring occasionally for 50 minutes or until the onions soften and wilt; mixture will shrink in quantity.
6 - Add sumac to the onion and mix well until the onion mixture turns color from the sumac; add more sumac to taste, if desired.
7 - In a pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and wait till it shimmers; add the pine nuts and cook stirring constantly until golden brown, about 3 minutes, set aside. Add the almonds, and cook stirring constantly until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
8 - To prepare the taboon bread, place on baking tray; ladle some of the onion mixture juices on the bread and using your hands spread evenly. Repeat with the others breads.
7 - Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes to slightly crisp but not too much.
8 - Remove the chicken from the oven, add the tray juices to the onion mixture and mix well.
9 - To serve, ladle a cup of onions on the bread spreading evenly, to the sides sprinkle with sumac; top with a piece of chicken, cover with a little more onion mixture and sumac (i like mine with lots of sumac); sprinkle the nuts on top. Enjoy!