Our very long-time family friend, Barbara, thoughtfully mailed me a packet of sumac along with a very cool wine bottle candelabra out of the blue a month or so ago. The sumac came along with a note telling me to find this recipe because she highly recommended it and knew I would enjoy it for the blog.

I had heard of the sumac plant before but I had no idea it was made into a spice, typically used in Middle Eastern cuisine. Apparently, it is primarily used with chicken, fish, and any kind of kabob as seasoning. It is a rust color and has a citrus, almost sweet, taste and is unlike any spice I’ve ever tasted before..Exciting!!

The original recipe calls for a whole chicken but since it’s just the two of us I decided to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. I couldn’t find Kirby cucumbers this week at the store so I bought a basic cucumber, cut off 2/3 of it and saved the other 1/3 using this method. Lucky for me it’s the beginning of heirloom tomato season so I bought two beautiful red-orange ones that were nice and ripe, making it easy to de-seed them.

This was AWESOME! The chicken skin was so crispy and the meat tasted more like white meat than dark meat, I think due to it baking a long time and the skin and sumac spice holding in its juiciness. The bread salad was the perfect accompaniment. The cucumber, tomato, and onions were lemony, slightly salty, and the bread was lightly crispy and each bite burst with garlicky flavor. I am so glad Barbara sent me this spice and I will definitely make this as a whole chicken for a dinner party next time.

Sumac Chicken with Bread Salad

Recipe Adapted from Roy Finamore, www.Chow.com

Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes (or overnight)

Makes: 2 servings

Directions:

1. If Using a Whole Chicken: Cut the backbone out of the chicken with kitchen shears and discard the bone. Using the palm of your hand, press down on the chicken to flatten it.

2. Season both sides of the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Combine the sumac and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small bowl and rub the mixture all over both sides of the chicken. Transfer the chicken to a large plate or dish and refrigerate it uncovered for about 8 hours. (Don’t worry! If you haven’t planned ahead, just leave the seasoned chicken on the counter while you prepare the onions and bread.)

3. Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until softened and just beginning to turn golden brown around the edges, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and parsley, stir to combine, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, add the bread, and toss to evenly combine; set aside.

4. Coat a baking dish with olive oil (make sure the dish is large enough to hold the bread in a single layer). Scrape in the bread mixture and arrange it evenly; reserve the bowl (no need to wash it). Set the chicken on top of the bread and roast until a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 165°F and the juices run clear, about 1 hour.

5. Set the chicken on a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place the cucumbers and tomatoes in a new medium bowl and season with a pinch of salt; set aside. Scrape the bread into the reserved bowl and let it cool for about 10 minutes.

6. Add the cucumbers, tomato, and measured lemon juice to the bread and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and add more lemon juice if desired. Pile the salad onto a platter. Cut the chicken into quarters, if a whole chicken, and arrange it around the salad.