Every Christmas, my Dad gives me a new cookbook. Of course, I can buy a cookbook anytime of the year, but this tradition is special to me, and I like to save the cookbook I am most excited about for him to give to me. This year, the choice was easy –  Jerusalem: a Cookbook. Written by two chefs, one Jewish and one Muslim originally from said city, this gorgeous book is full of interesting recipes and some history about the food culture of the region. Italian food may always be my favorite cuisine, but Middle Eastern is a close second. I could eat hummus everyday, and often do; so, I was super excited to dive into this cookbook.

The following recipes are the first that I have had a chance to try. I do not have the vocabulary to describe just how delicious this chicken dish is. To say that it is tasty or mouthwatering or even mind-blowing is not doing it justice. Not to give short shrift to the roasted squash and red onion side dish, but nothing compares to this chicken.

(Note: I didn’t include this meal during a regular meal plan post because a few of the ingredients are a bit unusual, and while it is deceptively easy to prepare, the marinating makes it more of a weekend dish.)

bil-hanā’ wa ash-shifā’!
be’te-avon!
(bon appetit in Arabic and Hebrew – I hope!)

Roasted Chicken with Clementines and Arak
Serves 4

6 ½ TB. arak, ouzo or Pernod
4 TB. olive oil
3 TB. freshly squeezed orange juice
3 TB. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 TB. grain mustard
3 TB. light brown sugar
2 medium fennel bulbs
1 large chicken (about 2 ¾ lb.), divided into 8 pieces, or the same weight in skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
4 clementines, unpeeled, cut horizontally into ¼-inch slices
1 TB. thyme leaves
2 ½ ts. fennel seeds, lightly crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

(Note: I made this with skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts and they didn’t produce as much cooking liquid as chicken thighs or a whole chicken so I skipped the last step. I also couldn’t find fennel seeds and it was okay without.)

Put the first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and add 2 ½ ts. salt and 1 ½ ts. black pepper. Whisk well and set aside.

Trim the fennel and cut each bulb in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Add the fennel to the liquids, along with the chicken pieces, clementine slices, thyme, and fennel seeds. Stir well with your hands, then leave to marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight (skipping the marinating stage is fine, if you are pressed for time).

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Transfer the chicken and its marinade to a baking sheet large enough to accommodate everything comfortably in a single layer; the chicken skin should be facing up. Once the oven is hot enough, put the pan in the oven and roast for 35-45 minutes, until the chicken is colored and cooked through. Remove from the oven.

Lift the chicken, fennel, and clementines from the pan and arrange on a serving plate; cover and keep warm. Pour the cooking liquid in a small saucepan, place over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, and then simmer until the sauce is reduced by one-third, so you are left with about ⅓ cup. Pour the hot sauce over the chicken, garnish with some parsley, and serve.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onion with Tahini and Za’atar
Serves 4

1 large butternut squash, cut into ¾ by 2 ½ inch
2 red onions, cut into 1 ¼ inch wedges
3 ½ TB. olive oil
3 ½ TB. tahini paste
1 ½ TB. lemon juice
2 TB. water
1 small clove of garlic, crushed
3 ½ TB. pine nuts
1 TB. za’atar
1 TB. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

(Note: this made a lot more sauce than I think you need. Either cut the measurements for the sauce ingredients in half, or use the extra sauce on another dish. It would be great over grilled chicken or as a dip for pita bread. I used my extra sauce with this dish from Smitten Kitchen, later in the week.)

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

Put the squash and onion in a large mixing bowl, add 3 TB. of the oil, 1 ts. salt, and some black pepper and toss well. Spread on a baking sheet with the skin facing down and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until the vegetables have taken on some color and are cooked through. Keep an eye on the onions as they might cook faster than the squash and need to be removed earlier. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

To make the sauce, place the tahini in a small bowl along with the lemon juice, water, garlic and ¼ ts. salt. Whisk until the sauce is the consistence of honey, adding more water or tahini if necessary.

Pour the remaining 1 ½ ts. oil into a small frying pan and place over medium-low heat. Add the pine nuts along with ½ ts. salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are golden brown. Remove from the heat and transfer the nuts and oil to a small bowl to stop the cooking.

To serve, spread the vegetables out on a large serving platter and drizzle over the tahini sauce. Sprinkle the pine nuts and their oil on top, followed by the za’atar and parsley.