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Musakhan chicken rolls

Sumac onion spiced roast chicken baked in marqooq bread

Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Lebanese, Middle Eastern, Palestinian
Keyword Authentic, Chicken, Healthy, Traditional
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 6
Author Zaatar and Zaytoun

Ingredients

For the chicken marinade

  • 1 chicken skin on & quartered
  • 1 teaspoon 7 spice
  • 2 teaspoon sumac
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt approx

For the musakhan mixture

  • 3 large onions sliced into ribbons
  • mild olive oil for cooking approx ½ cup
  • 1 pack 'marqooq bread'
  • sumac and extra virgin olive oil for brushing

Instructions

To prepare the chicken

  1. In a large bowl add the marinade spices (7 spice, sumac, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper and salt) with a drizzle of mild olive oil. Stir well and rub the marinade into the chicken, including under the skin. Leave to marinade at least 4 hours ideally overnight
  2. When you are ready to roast the chicken, transfer to a baking tray and roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes on 180°C (350°F), turning the chicken every 20 minutes or so until golden
  3. When the chicken has slightly cooled, shred the flesh and set aside.

To make the musakhan mixture

  1. In a wide stainless steel pan, add the mild olive oil and sauté on medium high heat until golden. This might take 20-30 minutes
  2. When the onions have a good colour, add the shredded chicken and a pinch (¼ tsp) of 7 spice, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom and ½ a teaspoon of sumac and 7 spice, along with a good sprinkle of salt (approx ½ tsp)

  3. Sauté the chicken with a onions for about 5-10 minutes on low heat and taste to adjust the seasoning if necessary. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil if dry before turning off the heat

To make the musakhan rolls

  1. Remove the thick 'rind' of the marqooq bread and cut into quarters. Add around 2 tablespoons of musakhan mixture, then turn in the sides and roll up into cigar shapes. Add the rolls to a baking tray

  2. When you have rolled the musakhan, brush the rolls with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle a little sumac. Bake in the oven on 180°C (350°F) for around ten minutes until golden and crispy.