A more elaborate version of this recipe appeared in our hometown newspaper, but it seemed a little too much work and would have made for too much chicken for us. This is my adaptation using chicken breasts. Sumac has been making its way into a few recipes. It is readily available in our Middle Eastern Market.
Chicken with Sumac and Plums
Ingredients
- For the Chicken
- 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon ground sumac
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper fresh ground
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 chicken breasts cut in half usually come as a split breast, boneless and skinless
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- For the Plums
- 2 plums quartered or sliced
- 1-2 shallots sliced into rounds
- 1 teaspoon honey or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch allspice
- 1 bay leaf torn in half
Instructions
- Grate the zest from the lemon and place in a small bowl. Set aside the zested lemon.
- Stir sumac, salt, pepper, cinnamon and allspice into the lemon zest. Stir in garlic, add small amount of olive oil if desired (I didn’t find this added much value, so I tend to it out). Rub mixture all over the chicken breasts.
- In a large bowl, toss together plums, shallots, honey, oil, salt, cinnamon, allspice and bay leaf. Spread out plum mixture evenly over the bottom of a roasting pan with high sides. Lay thyme sprigs on top of plums. Place chickens over the plums in the pan and cover. Roast for 30-40 minutes, until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Plums should be soft.
- Remove from oven and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from reserved lemon onto chicken. Let chicken rest, covered lightly with foil, for 10 minutes. Carve and serve with the plums and more thyme for garnish.