مسخن

Season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, allspice, cinnamon, and two tablespoons of the sumac. Rub the spices into the chicken thoroughly. Let marinate for at least one hour in the refrigerator to allow the tangy sumac and warm spices to penetrate the meat.

Heat a quarter cup of olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook slowly for twenty-five to thirty minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply caramelized, jammy, and dark golden. This long, slow cooking is essential.

Add the remaining sumac to the caramelized onions and stir for two minutes. The sumac turns the onions a deep purple-red and adds its signature lemony, tangy flavour. Remove about half the sumac onions and set aside for topping. Leave the rest in the pan.

Nestle the seasoned chicken pieces into the onion bed in the pan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for thirty-five to forty minutes, turning once, until the chicken is fully cooked through and very tender, having absorbed the onion and sumac flavours.

Toast the pine nuts in a dry small pan over medium heat, shaking frequently, for three minutes until golden brown. Watch them carefully as they burn very quickly. Set aside for the final garnish.

Place the flatbreads on a large baking tray and spread with the reserved sumac onions. Arrange the cooked chicken pieces on top and drizzle with any remaining pan juices. Bake at 200C for ten minutes to warm the bread and lightly crisp the edges.

Scatter the toasted pine nuts over the chicken and serve the musakhan on the flatbread, which absorbs all the sumac-onion juices. Traditionally eaten with hands by tearing off pieces of bread wrapped around chicken and onions, this is Palestine's national dish.