# Za'atar Chicken



## disco (Jun 21, 2019)

I do like to try dishes from around the world and have read a lot about the middle eastern spice blend, Za’atar. I have been meaning to make it for some time but one of the key ingredients is sumac. This is not a readily available spice in a small city in the Canadian Rockies.

I was in our local bulk food store and noted they had sumac! The time had arrived.

I did some experimenting and found the following to be the blend that suited my tastes while maintaining the main ingredients.


7.5 ml (1/2 tablespoon) dried thyme
7.5 ml (1/2 tablespoon) cumin
7.5 ml (1/2 tablespoon) ground coriander
7.5 ml (1/2 tablespoon) sesame seeds
7.5 ml (1/2 tablespoon) ground sumac
7.5 ml (1/2 tablespoon) dried oregano
5 ml (1 teaspoon) ground pepper
4 ml (3/4 teaspoon) kosher salt








I mixed them all together and stored them in a jar.







I purchased a 2 1/2 to 3 pound chicken. I spatchcocked  it.







I made up a marinade with the Za’atar Spice by mixing the following:


50 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil.
25 ml (2 tablespoons) Za’atar Spice
25 ml (2 tablespoons) lemon juice
1 clove garlic, chopped







I put the chicken in a plastic bag and poured the marinade over it and sealed the bag. I put it in the fridge for 3 hours, turning the bag occasionally.

I preheated my smoker to 350 F and put the chicken in skin side down. I smoked it for 30 minutes and then flipped it. You don’t have to do this but, I find having the skin down for the first part of the smoke gives it a better texture.

I put my temperature probe in the thickest part of the breast and cooked to an internal temperature of 170 F. It took about 45 minutes.







I brought it inside and let it rest for 10 minutes.







I cut the chicken up. I started by cutting the drumsticks off. Then I cut the thighs from the breast. The wings were removed from the breast. Last, I cut the breast into halves and cut each half in two.













We served it with She Who Must Be Obeyed’s great broccoli salad.







The Verdict

This is not your usual smoked chicken. There is no sweet. No sticky sauce. The Za’atar Spice has a strong taste with the Mediterranean flavours of the coriander, cumin, thyme and oregano. The sumac gives it a rich almost floral flavour. If you haven’t had middle eastern food before, you will find a totally different flavour profile. I really like it but some of my friends found it too different for their tastes.

While I really liked the taste, I should point out the sumac makes a darker skin on the chicken than I am used to. The skin had a great texture but the colour is darker.

I think it is delicious and worth your effort to try it. Expand your horizons!

Disco


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## Steve H (Jun 21, 2019)

I've had that before over seas. Not bad. But I'm pretty interested in the She Who Must Be Obeyed’s great broccoli salad recipe. It looks pretty darn tasty.


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## fivetricks (Jun 21, 2019)

I love Za 'atar on chicken!


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## bluewhisper (Jun 21, 2019)

Only one clove of garlic?


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## HalfSmoked (Jun 21, 2019)

Sounds like a great meal and looks fantastic.

Warren


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## JC in GB (Jun 21, 2019)

I have used Za'atar on ribs, rib tips, and chicken.  I add SPOG to the meat then sprinkle with the Za'atar.  Most folks liked the Za'atar ribs better than my BBQ ribs.  I guess I need to up my game.

Thanks for the post Disco, it is always nice to see new recipes and techniques on the forum.  

JC


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## disco (Jun 21, 2019)

Steve H said:


> I've had that before over seas. Not bad. But I'm pretty interested in the She Who Must Be Obeyed’s great broccoli salad recipe. It looks pretty darn tasty.


Your wish is my command!

Ingredients


750 ml (3 cups) broccoli florets, coarse chopped
125 ml (1/2 cup) chopped red onion
50 ml (1/4 cup) sunflower seeds
125 ml (1/2 cup) chopped raisins
125 ml (1/2 cup) crumbled feta cheese
125 ml (1/2 cup) plain low-fat yogurt
50 ml (1/4 cup) light mayonnaise
25 ml (2 tablespoons) white sugar
15 ml (1 tablespoon) lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions


Mix broccoli, red onion, sunflower seeds, raisnins and feta in a large bowl.
Mix yogurt, mayonnaise, white sugar and lemon juice.
Add yogurt mixture to broccoli mixture and toss to coat.
Let sit, covered in fridge, for 2 hours.
Add salt and pepper to taste.


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## disco (Jun 21, 2019)

bluewhisper said:


> Only one clove of garlic?
> 
> View attachment 398515



I hang me head in shame and hang up my apron...



fivetricks said:


> I love Za 'atar on chicken!



I do to but I had a couple of friends who just found it too different from their experience with chicken. However, I will be making it again for the rest of us!


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## disco (Jun 21, 2019)

JC in GB said:


> I have used Za'atar on ribs, rib tips, and chicken.  I add SPOG to the meat then sprinkle with the Za'atar.  Most folks liked the Za'atar ribs better than my BBQ ribs.  I guess I need to up my game.
> 
> Thanks for the post Disco, it is always nice to see new recipes and techniques on the forum.
> 
> JC



Har! I doubt you need to up your game cause you do it differenty! We all do things differently. I have stolen, er, borrowed many techniques from these forums. 

As a matter of fact, I may "comandeer" your idea for using it on rib tips. I hadn't thought of that! Thanks!


HalfSmoked said:


> Sounds like a great meal and looks fantastic.
> 
> Warren


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## Bearcarver (Jun 21, 2019)

Looks like a Beautiful Job from Here, Disco!!
Looks Mighty Tasty!
Like.

Bear


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## chopsaw (Jun 21, 2019)

Looks good , bet it tasted good too . Just have to know what to expect when you take a bite . 
Start calling you The Sultan of spice . Nice job .


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## Steve H (Jun 21, 2019)

disco said:


> Your wish is my command!
> 
> Ingredients
> 
> ...




Thanks! Except for the raisins I'll be making this asap!


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## HalfSmoked (Jun 21, 2019)

JC in GB Thanks for the like.

Warren


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## johnmeyer (Jun 21, 2019)

Like curry, zaatar is a blend of spices. The coriander and cumin in disco's blend are two I have not seen in most recipes, although I'll bet they make that chicken taste great.

One of our local middle eastern restaurants used to mix plenty of zaatar with olive oil as the dipping sauce for their bread. Half the reason reason we went there for thirty years was to feast on that blend and the bread while waiting for the meal. When they went out of business two months ago, we bought up a huge amount of their remaining zaatar which I vacuum packed, along with some oxygen absorbers, so it will remain fresh almost indefinitely.

Also -- and this is the reason for the post -- twenty years ago I bought their cookbook and it included their recipe for zaatar. I think this is close to what they served, but like so many things, the type and quality of the spice they used made their version taste different. I think the key is to get the right oregano.

*Zaatar Recipe*​
2 tablespoons Greek oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed basil
1 teaspoon crush sage
2 teaspoons ground sumac
1/8 cup roasted sesame seeds​
I have no idea why the recipe calls for 1/8 cup rather than 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds (same thing either way). It's strange what people do when printing recipes.

As disco said, the sumac is the key "mystery" ingredient.

This now-defunct restaurant seemed to be able to get really tiny sesame seeds; mine are much too large. Finally, I've used regular oregano and also Mexican oregano (which isn't really oregano), but haven't quite been able to match their Greek oregano, whatever that is.


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## gmc2003 (Jun 21, 2019)

Tasty looking plate of chicken Disco. We have one Indian restaurant here that I know of in Burlington. However they don't have a parking lot and they're not really near anything that has a place to park. So I haven't tried it yet. I may be putting this on the bachelor menu as my wife isn't into spicy. 

Point for sure
Chris


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## motocrash (Jun 23, 2019)

This chicken dish of yours is on an equal footing with most,if not all dishes I see coming from the Canadian Rockies.


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## disco (Jun 23, 2019)

motocrash said:


> This chicken dish of yours is on an equal footing with most,if not all dishes I see coming from the Canadian Rockies.



Thanks. We are known as a hot bed of culinary excellence. For example, they had hot dogs at the hardware store the other day.



johnmeyer said:


> Like curry, zaatar is a blend of spices. The coriander and cumin in disco's blend are two I have not seen in most recipes, although I'll bet they make that chicken taste great.
> 
> One of our local middle eastern restaurants used to mix plenty of zaatar with olive oil as the dipping sauce for their bread. Half the reason reason we went there for thirty years was to feast on that blend and the bread while waiting for the meal. When they went out of business two months ago, we bought up a huge amount of their remaining zaatar which I vacuum packed, along with some oxygen absorbers, so it will remain fresh almost indefinitely.
> 
> ...



Za'atar, like piri piri is different depending where your from and your family history. When I was researching, an Israeli friend sent me one closer to yours. A Lebanese friend sent me one with even more ingredients. Yet another sent me a different recipe. The only thing that seemed to anchor the recipes as Za'atar was the sumac and herbs.



gmc2003 said:


> Tasty looking plate of chicken Disco. We have one Indian restaurant here that I know of in Burlington. However they don't have a parking lot and they're not really near anything that has a place to park. So I haven't tried it yet. I may be putting this on the bachelor menu as my wife isn't into spicy.
> 
> Point for sure
> Chris



Thanks, Chris. Za'atar isn't really an Indian dish, it is more from the middle east. Also, you don't have to worry about the heat in this. She Who Must Be Obeyed had no problem with it and she is heat averse.


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Jun 23, 2019)

Nice thread as per usual my friend...  Adding this to the must try list..  Hoping I can find sumac locally.


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## dls1 (Jun 23, 2019)

Great looking  chicken, Disco, and well deserving of a like. Za'atar, with so many possible uses, is a great blend to always have on hand.

I make many of my own Middle Eastern/North African spice and herb blends and za'atar is a staple at our house. Za’atar is a pretty specific blend with dried sumac being the blend's key, and usually most dominant, player. True and authentic za'atar contains only 3 ingredients, sumac, roasted sesame seeds, and hyssop, an herb that is similar to thyme with a hint of mint. Hyssop is fairly rare even in much of the Middle East so, over time, the common formulation includes, in addition to the sesame seeds and sumac, thyme, marjoram, oregano, and salt. The use of salt in za'atar is somewhat unique in that it's rarely used in Middle Eastern/North African spice blends. Also, as with other blends, there are regional variations of za'atar, but they don't stray very far from the base formulation. Israeli za’atar typically includes sesame seeds, oregano, thyme and salt while Syrian za’atar which often brings cumin and coriander into the mix

While I’m prone to occasionally playing around with the ingredients a little, my base za’atar recipe is as follows,

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) dried sumac
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely minced
2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons fresh marjoram, finely minced
2 tablespoons dried Greek oregano
1-2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, to taste

Coarsely grind the sesame seeds with a mortar and pestle or in a food processor. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.


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## johnmeyer (Jun 23, 2019)

dls1 said:


> I make many of my own Middle Eastern/North African spice and herb blends and za'atar is a staple at our house. Za’atar is a pretty specific blend with dried sumac being the blend's key, and usually most dominant, player. True and authentic za'atar contains only 3 ingredients, sumac, roasted sesame seeds, and hyssop, an herb that is similar to thyme with a hint of mint. <snip>
> 
> While I’m prone to occasionally playing around with the ingredients a little, my base za’atar recipe is as follows,
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for that background and for the recipe. Even though I have a several year supply of the "real" stuff from the now-closed restaurant, I still want to duplicate what they had. I have not been roasting my sesame seeds, so that's one thing I need to try. Maybe that will make them smaller, like the ones in the restaurant's blend. 

I do have one question: is "Greek oregano" different from regular oregano? I know that Mexican oregano is a totally different thing.


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## dls1 (Jun 24, 2019)

John,

The supply of za'atar that you have might be considered the "real stuff" by some, and not so by others. As has been mentioned, za'atar can vary greatly by country, region, locale, etc. often based upon what herbs are naturally abundant and traditionally favored, though sumac, sesame seeds, and thyme seem to be the constants. In a sense, it's like a person from South Carolina and another from Kansas each calling their BBQ sauce the "real stuff", though they're vastly different.

Greek oregano, wild grown, is often called "true" or "pure" oregano. Compared to other varieties, it has a strong, robust aroma and a pungent intense flavor with lemon highlights. Nothing that you'll find on a typical grocery store shelf in the U.S. can compare with it. As I understand it, most of what's commonly available in the U.S. isn't actually oregano at all, but a close relative, wild marjoram.

Not surprisingly, real wild Greek oregano is not inexpensive, and it's availability is limited. I happen to live in Chicago which has had a very large Greek population for several decades and I can source the product fairly easily. As an alternative, for online shopping, the purveyor I recommend is Dafni Greek Gourmet,
https://dafni-greek-gourmet.myshopi...ucts/dafni-wild-greek-oregano-jar-ground-buds


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## johnmeyer (Jun 24, 2019)

Ah ha, "lemon highlights." That's _exactly _what my version is missing. I grew up in Chicago, but now live on the west coast. I'll have to start hunting around for the real thing. Thank you!!


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## disco (Jun 25, 2019)

dls1 said:


> Great looking  chicken, Disco, and well deserving of a like. Za'atar, with so many possible uses, is a great blend to always have on hand.
> 
> I make many of my own Middle Eastern/North African spice and herb blends and za'atar is a staple at our house. Za’atar is a pretty specific blend with dried sumac being the blend's key, and usually most dominant, player. True and authentic za'atar contains only 3 ingredients, sumac, roasted sesame seeds, and hyssop, an herb that is similar to thyme with a hint of mint. Hyssop is fairly rare even in much of the Middle East so, over time, the common formulation includes, in addition to the sesame seeds and sumac, thyme, marjoram, oregano, and salt. The use of salt in za'atar is somewhat unique in that it's rarely used in Middle Eastern/North African spice blends. Also, as with other blends, there are regional variations of za'atar, but they don't stray very far from the base formulation. Israeli za’atar typically includes sesame seeds, oregano, thyme and salt while Syrian za’atar which often brings cumin and coriander into the mix
> 
> ...





johnmeyer said:


> Thank you so much for that background and for the recipe. Even though I have a several year supply of the "real" stuff from the now-closed restaurant, I still want to duplicate what they had. I have not been roasting my sesame seeds, so that's one thing I need to try. Maybe that will make them smaller, like the ones in the restaurant's blend.
> 
> I do have one question: is "Greek oregano" different from regular oregano? I know that Mexican oregano is a totally different thing.





dls1 said:


> John,
> 
> The supply of za'atar that you have might be considered the "real stuff" by some, and not so by others. As has been mentioned, za'atar can vary greatly by country, region, locale, etc. often based upon what herbs are naturally abundant and traditionally favored, though sumac, sesame seeds, and thyme seem to be the constants. In a sense, it's like a person from South Carolina and another from Kansas each calling their BBQ sauce the "real stuff", though they're vastly different.
> 
> ...





johnmeyer said:


> Ah ha, "lemon highlights." That's _exactly _what my version is missing. I grew up in Chicago, but now live on the west coast. I'll have to start hunting around for the real thing. Thank you!!



I really didn't know what I was getting into. I have forwarded some of this to my middle eastern friends and they are arguing among themselves about "real" Za'atar. I had a similar problem with Piri Piri. I have been flat out told that some of the recipes sent to me aren't Piri Piri by some despite being commonly served in African or Portuguese settings.

May advise, do what I did. Try several versions and adjust them to your tastes.

I have a source for Greek Oregano in Canada but that likely won't be much help.


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## zippy12 (Jun 25, 2019)

made it thighs only






with egg plant parm  thanks man!


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## ab canuck (Jul 6, 2019)

Great sonding and looking dish Disco, I missed this one in the last few weeks of chaos we have going on at work. Like for sure. Congrats on the carousel ride.


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## disco (Jul 6, 2019)

ab canuck said:


> Great sonding and looking dish Disco, I missed this one in the last few weeks of chaos we have going on at work. Like for sure. Congrats on the carousel ride.



Thanks! You need to retire!



zippy12 said:


> made it thighs only
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Sorry I missed this till now! It looks great!


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