Zaatar Chicken

This may look like Fried Chicken from Popeye's, but it's not. It's The Great Plotnik's Zaatar Chicken, which is in fact skinless and baked. It tastes really, really good.

Zaatar, the Lebanese-origin spice mixture, is suddenly hip. Yesterday's Kronikl had recipes for Zaatar Flatbread, but they didn't give instructions on making the zaatar. Oh, you can go to Samiramis and buy Lebanese, Palestinian or Syrian Zaatars, but it's easy to make your own. Here is the Great Plotnik's recipe:

Homemade Zaatar Spice Mix (Lebanese Style)
8T powdered sumac
1C roasted, ground sesame seeds
1/4C ground thyme
1T dried oregano
1T dried savory
1t salt

Grind everything, except the salt, in a spice grinder so it becomes a powder. Add the salt once you taste the zaatar -- some sumacs are salty, so you don't want to overdo it. Start with 1t salt and taste it. If it's tasty enough, stop there, but don't be afraid to add a little more if you think it needs it.

If you want to taste zaatar before you make it, and if you want to buy the spices you don't have, like good sumac, go to Samiramis on Mission and 26th St. You can sample the three zaatars, but they've been in the bin awhile. Yours will taste much finer.

This recipe makes enough zaatar for six months at least. Store it in a tightly covered spice jar.

THE GREAT PLOTNIK'S ZAATAR CHICKEN

Take half a dozen chicken thighs and skin them. Put them in a plastic bag with 1/4C olive oil, 2T zaatar and a pinch of kosher (coarse) salt. Shake 'em up and let them sit at least an hour, preferably more. Original recipe calls for twice as much oil, but you don't need it if you keep tossing the pieces inside the bag while they marinate.

Bake chicken in hot oven (425) for 45 minutes until crisp. Because of the hot oven, meat comes out moist and crusty, even though there is no chicken skin.

Since you've got 45 minutes you've got plenty of time to make Brown Saffron Rice.

1C brown basmati rice
2C water (or stock if you prefer)
1/4t saffron
1/4t turmeric
pinch salt

Crush saffron in mortar and pestle, add to water with turmeric and salt. Heat until boiling, then add rice, cover and turn heat as low as possible. In 40 minutes, remove from heat until chicken is done.

Serve chicken on top of bed of rice, and get out of the way.