Chicken Fatteh (Fatteh Dajaj)

Name: Chicken Fatteh (Fatteh Dajaj)
Yield: 6 to 8 Servings
Ingredients: 3/4 cup basmati rice; Kosher salt and ground black pepper; 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided; 2 8-inch pita breads, each split into 2 rounds; 4 teaspoons ground coriander, divided; 2 teaspoons ground sumac, divided; 1/3 cup slivered almonds; 10 whole cloves; 4 cardamom pods; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 pound bone-in, skin-on chicken breast; 3 medium garlic cloves, finely grated; 3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground; 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt; 1/4 cup tahini; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, torn if large; 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

Adapted by Courtney Hill

6 to 8 Servings

1½ hours

Free

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Fatteh, a dish of broken bits of crisped bread combined with any number of different ingredients—from chickpeas to eggplant—takes its name from the Arabic term for “crushed” or “broken apart”; dajaj means “chicken.” Though originally a way to use up stale flatbread, we think the mixing and mingling of contrasting textures and flavors is so delicious that fatteh warrants starting with a package of fresh pita. This recipe, based on the version we learned from Maria Hadad at Beit Sitti cooking school in Amman, Jordan, layers oven-crisped pita, fragrant basmati rice pilaf, a creamy yogurt-tahini sauce and tender shredded chicken. Garnished with toasted almonds, fresh parsley and tangy-sweet pomegranate molasses, this fatteh is a satisfying meal-in-one. It does require preparing the components separately and assembly just before serving, but all of the steps are simple. If convenient, the pita and almonds can be toasted up to two days in advance and stored in an airtight container until ready to use.

6 to 8

Servings

Tip

Don’t skip the step of soaking the rice, as soaking helps the grains cook more evenly and attain a fluffy, separate texture. Also, don’t discard the cooking liquid after removing the chicken breasts. You will need it for cooking the rice, as well as to make the sauce and to moisten the shredded chicken just before assembling the fatteh.

1½ hours

3/4 cup basmati rice

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 8-inch pita breads, each split into 2 rounds

4 teaspoons ground coriander, divided

2 teaspoons ground sumac, divided

1/3 cup slivered almonds

10 whole cloves

4 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

1 pound bone-in, skin-on chicken breast

3 medium garlic cloves, finely grated

3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

1/4 cup tahini

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, torn if large

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

Ingredients

¾

cup basmati rice
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
4

tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2

8-inch pita breads, each split into 2 rounds
4

teaspoons ground coriander, divided
2

teaspoons ground sumac, divided
⅓

cup slivered almonds
10

whole cloves
4

cardamom pods
1

cinnamon stick
1

pound bone-in, skin-on chicken breast
3

medium garlic cloves, finely grated
¾

teaspoon fennel seeds, ground
¼

teaspoon ground turmeric
½

cup plain whole-milk yogurt
¼

cup tahini
2

tablespoons lemon juice
½

cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, torn if large
2

tablespoons pomegranate molasses

Directions

01

Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle position. In a medium bowl, combine the rice and 1 tablespoon salt; pour in enough water to cover by 1 inch. Stir to dissolve the salt, then let stand at room temperature while you prepare the pita and chicken (for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour).
02

Brush 3 tablespoons oil onto the pita bread, coating both sides of each round, then sprinkle on both sides with 2 teaspoons coriander and 1 teaspoon sumac. Place the rounds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the pita is browned and crisp, 8 to 9 minutes, flipping the rounds halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack; reserve the baking sheet and leave the oven on.
03

While the pita cools, distribute the almonds in an even layer on the reserved baking sheet and toast until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Set aside to cool.
04

In a large saucepan over medium-high, combine the 1 tablespoon remaining oil, the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until fragrant and sizzling, about 1 minute. Add the chicken breast skin side down and cook undisturbed until golden brown on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes. Add enough water to just cover the chicken and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce to low and simmer, occasionally flipping the chicken, until a skewer inserted into the thickest part meets no resistance, 20 to 25 minutes.
05

Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a large plate and set aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl; discard the solids in the sieve, then rinse it out. Wipe out the saucepan.
06

Drain the rice in the same sieve, rinse it under running cold water and drain again. In the same saucepan, combine the rice, two-thirds of the garlic, the remaining 2 teaspoons coriander, the fennel, turmeric and ½ teaspoon pepper, then add 1½ cups of the strained cooking liquid (reserve the remainder). Stir to combine and bring to simmer over medium-high. Cover, reduce to low and cook until the rice has absorbed the liquid, about 18 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff the grains with a fork. Taste and season with salt.
07

While the rice cooks, in a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, tahini, the remaining garlic and 2 tablespoons of the remaining chicken cooking liquid, then stir in the lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces, discarding the skin and bones. In a medium bowl, toss the shredded chicken with ¼ cup of the remaining chicken cooking liquid.
08

To assemble, break the pita into rough 1-inch pieces and distribute in an even layer on a large serving platter. Spoon the rice evenly onto the pita, then top with the chicken, followed by the yogurt-tahini sauce. Sprinkle with the almonds and parsley. Drizzle with the pomegranate molasses and sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon sumac.