What to Cook Tonight #68

Aromatic flavours from the Mediterranean and Levant — a Spiced Spatchcock Chicken with Za’atar & Potatoes, Lemony Orzo with Spinach & Feta, and a nourishing Crispy Chickpea Salad with Tahini & Sumac.

This week, we are returning to three of our best-loved ingredients from the Levant — sumac, za’atar, and dried mint. All deeply aromatic and flavourful, they are great to have in the pantry, especially over winter when fresh herbs aren’t as readily available. Stored in a sealed container in a cool, dry place, they will keep for months.

As we mentioned in What to Cook Tonight #36:

Sumac is a beautiful spice with an incredibly tangy, almost lemony flavour. We love it sprinkled over salads and rubbed into meat as a marinade. It’s also excellent on avocado toast. You should be able to find it in the spice section at your local supermarket.

Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice mix that varies from region to region, depending on where you are (and your household). It usually contains dried oregano, thyme (sometimes marjoram), toasted sesame seeds, sumac, and salt. It is wonderfully flavourful and goes well with just about anything — particularly as a marinade for meat or vegetables, sprinkled over salads and dips like hummus, labneh, and charred eggplant, or over fresh pita bread drizzled with olive oil before going in the oven to toast. You can use store-bought, or you can make your own using this recipe from our good friend Ali that we published in Summer at Home.

We’re going to use sumac to make Sumac Onions (possibly our favourite condiment), while the za’atar is going to be slathered all over a whole chicken, and sprinkled over some crispy chickpeas. Easy, flavourful recipes that look and taste incredible.

Dried mint is such a useful herb to have at hand and is an inexpensive way to add some herbaceous brightness to your meals. Like most dried herbs it has a concentrated flavour, so go easy (you can always add more).

If you’d like more recipes that utilise dried mint, see our Persian Noodle Soup, this wonderful Spiced Carrot Salad with Orange Maple Dressing, as well as this Persian Herb Frittata.

Spiced Spatchcock Chicken with Za’atar & Potatoes

Now, for the recipes. First up we have Spiced Spatchcock Chicken with Za’atar & Potatoes. This stunning traybake looks impressive and is so easy to throw together, making it equally ideal for family dinners and special occasions.

Chicken and potatoes are a beloved combination, and for good reason — starchy potatoes are so well suited to soaking up the tasty flavours from a roast chook, especially when accompanied by sweet roasted onions for added deliciousness. Here, we’ve been inspired by the Levant and taken this to the next level with the addition of aromatic za’atar, forming a flavourful crust over the skin of the chicken that is seriously addictive.