6

2 Add 125ml water to the dish,

cover tightly with foil, and bake

until chicken is cooked through

(1-1¼ hours; juices of chicken

will run clear when a thigh is

pierced with a skewer). Check

once or twice during cooking

to make sure liquid hasn’t

entirely evaporated and top

up with more water if necessary.

You don’t want the dish to be

completely dry, but you also

don’t want a soup, more of

a gravy.

3 Remove foil and increase

oven temperature to it’s highest

setting (about 250°C; or preheat

the grill to high). Continue

to cook in oven or under grill

until chicken skin crisps up

(5-10 minutes). Remove from

oven and rest for 5 minutes

before serving. Sprinkle with

pine nuts and serve with pita.

Chicken, onion and sumac casserole

SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 1 HR 15 MINS

“The combination of onions and sumac is one of the most

traditional Palestinian flavours” says Kassis. “This recipe, more

common in the northern part of Palestine, is a perfect weeknight

dinner – it can be oven-ready in less than 15 minutes.”

Fenugreek semolina cake

MAKES ONE 28CM CAKE // PREP TIME 50 MINS // COOK 1 HR (PLUS RESTING

“This is one of the most typical Palestinian desserts, but is

localised to the centre and south of the country,” says Kassis.

“The cake is soaked in syrup after baking and must stand for

a few hours, preferably overnight, before serving. This recipe

yields a cake of medium thickness, but for a thinner, crunchier

cake use a larger cake pan.” Pictured p119.

1.25 kg chicken pieces (about

4 whole legs or 6 skin-on

breasts)

6-7 onions, diced

3-5 potatoes, cut into rounds

(optional)

3 tbsp sweet paprika

2 tbsp sumac

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp nine-spice mix

(see recipe p120)

3-4 tbsp olive oil

Roasted pine nuts, to serve

Pita bread (if not using

potatoes), to serve

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Place

chicken, onion, and potato in

a greased or non-stick deep

ovenproof dish. Combine

spices, 1 tbsp salt, and olive oil

in a small bowl, then pour into

roasting dish and rub evenly

into onion, chicken, and potato.

Make sure the chicken pieces

are skin-side up and aren’t

crowding each other.

2 tbsp fenugreek seeds

Tahini or butter, for greasing

300 gm semolina

60 gm plain flour

4 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tbsp nigella seeds

1 tbsp ground star anise seeds

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp dried yeast

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp turmeric

20-30 pine nuts or blanched

almonds

FLAVOURED SUGAR SYRUP

400 gm caster sugar

Squeeze of lemon juice

½ tsp orange blossom water

½ tsp rosewater

1 For sugar syrup, combine

sugar, 350ml water and lemon

juice in a small saucepan

and bring to the boil. Simmer

until slightly thickened (about

5 minutes), then remove from

heat and add orange blossom

water and rosewater. Cool

completely. Syrup will keep

in an airtight container in the

refrigerator for up to 2 months.

2 Place fenugreek seeds

in a saucepan with 475ml water,

bring to the boil, then reduce

the heat to medium and simmer

until seeds are tender and

plump (20-25 minutes). Strain,

reserving cooking water.

3 Meanwhile, grease a

28cm-diameter round cake tin

with tahini or butter (or use a

20cmx 30cm rectangular cake

pan). Place all the remaining

ingredients, except pine nuts

in a large bowl with ½ tsp salt

and mix until well combined and

resembling wet sand in texture.

4 Add strained fenugreek

seeds and 250ml fenugreek

cooking water. Mix well with

your hand or a wooden spoon.

If necessary, gradually add

more water; you want a soft

dough – not so loose it can

be poured like cake batter, but

not so stif it can be kneaded

liked bread.

5 Wet your palms, using them

to spread the batter into the

greased tin, and smooth out

the surface. With a sharp knife,

score the cake with diagonal

lines in one direction, then in

the opposite direction, to form

a diamond pattern. Place a

pine nut or blanched almond

in the centre of each diamond.

Set aside, covered with a tea

towel, to rest and rise (1 hour).

6 Preheat oven to 200°C.

Bake the cake until a dark

golden brown, (20-30 minutes).

Remove from the oven and pour

cooled syrup over cake while

still warm. Cool completely

before serving (for several hours,

or overnight). If you attempt

to cut the cake before it has

cooled, the pieces will crumble.

7 Once cooled, cut out

individual portions from the

cake tin and serve. Remaining

cake will keep in tin covered

in aluminum foil or plastic wrap

at room temperature for up to

5 days, or in the refrigerator

for up to 2 weeks.

This extract from The

Palestinian Table by Reem

Kassis (Phaidon, hbk, $49.95)

has been reproduced with

minor GT style changes.

122 GOURMET TRAVELLER