Crispy Musakhan Rolls
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Musakhan Rolls is one of my favorite dishes, and I know you’ll love it too. It’s filled with mouth-watering shredded chicken, puckeringly tart sumac, sweet caramelized onions, and fruity olive oil, all wrapped up in a portable roll. Aleppo/Turkish pepper paste and lemon juice add an unexpected Syrian twist, making these rolls so addicting.
Musakhan is a traditional Palestinian dish that celebrates the first press of olive oil after the harvest. It’s simplicity at its finest. A family will usually order a large piece of taboon bread from the village baker. They top it with caramelized onions in copious amounts of the olive oil, and whole freshly slaughtered chicken seasoned with sumac, a purple sour berry which is dried and ground into a powder. Wrapping them into rolls is definitely not traditional, but it’s grown popular in the Middle East for its convenience. Prepare them on Sunday and pack them up in school lunches throughout the week for a scrumptious treat.
Ingredients
Chicken — I use whole chicken cut into pieces with its skin removed, but feel free to use only white or dark meat if you prefer.
Sumac — Sumac a deep-red or purple powder that’s citrusy and tart. Its shrubs grow in the Mediterranean. Once the berries are ripe, they’re harvested, dried, and ground, and used to season various dishes. I love to use it on top of eggs or in spinach pie filling.
Lemon Juice — Lemon juice is not traditionally used in musakhan, but I love the added freshness when combined with sumac.
Onions — It’s my absolute favorite when onions cook for awhile in olive oil. They get so silky, soft, and sweet, adding so much flavor.
Olive Oil — Any good quality olive oil will be great in this recipe.
Aleppo/Turkish Pepper Paste — Aleppo/Turkish pepper paste is probably my most used pantry ingredient. Like I mentioned, its’s not traditionally used in musakhan, but it adds a nice complexity. Aleppo or Turkish peppers are slender, long red peppers that vary in spice level and are grown in Northern Syria or Southern Turkey. At the end of their harvest season, they’re picked, dried in the sun, and pounded into a paste with salt to be used throughout the year. In the US, Sera is an acceptable brand. In the UAE, I get mine at Bait al Moonah al Halabi in Sharjah. If you don’t have any, feel free to leave it out.
Wraps — Find wraps that are as thin as possible. If they’re rectangular, the rolls look much prettier. If the bread is round, you can trim the ends to make it a rectangle. Tortillas can also work, but thin wraps are best. If using pita bread, be sure to use the thin kind and separate the 2 halves.
Method
Chicken can sometimes have a funny smell, especially when leftover and reheated (the Arabs call it “zankha”). Here’s what you should do to get rid of the “zankha.” First, put it in a pot over low heat. The excess liquid and fat will drain, and the chicken will soften, which takes about an hour. Then, you drizzle it with olive oil and sumac and roast it in a 350° C/180° C oven for about 10 minutes, until it takes on a golden color.
While cooking the chicken, slice the onions and cook in olive oil in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat until golden brown and softened, about 20-30 minutes.
Shred the chicken and combine with the onions, olive oil, sumac, lemon juice, Aleppo/Turkish pepper paste, and salt.
Keep the oven at 350° C/180° C. Brush the wrap with olive oil, place a couple spoons of filling on the side towards you, and roll up tightly. Brush the top with olive oil and place on a baking sheet.
Bake until crispy and golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.
I can’t wait for you to try this recipe! When you do, don’t forget to put it in the comments so everyone knows how it worked out. I also love to see your creations! You can tag me on social media at #omayahcooks, @omayah.atassi on Instagram, @omayahcooks on Pinterest, and @omayahatassiphoto on Facebook.
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Musakhan Rolls
Ingredients
- 900 g/2 lbs bone-in chicken, cut into pieces and skin removed
- 1/4 c + 2 tbsp sumac
- 900 g/2 lbs yellow or brown onions
- 300 mL/1.5 c olive oil + 2 tbsp
- 1/4 c freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1-2 lemons)
- 2 tbsp Aleppo/Turkish pepper paste
- 1.5 tsp kosher salt (1/2 for table salt)
- 1 package thin wraps
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a pot over low heat. Cover and cook until the excess fat and liquid runs off, and the chicken softens, about an hour.
- Meanwhile, add 1.5 c olive oil and the sliced onions in a large cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and soft, about 20-30 minutes. Towards the end of cooking the onions, you may need to stir more frequently so avoid burning.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F/180° C. Drain the chicken and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp sumac and roast until golden, about 10 minutes.
- Shred the chicken and place in a large bowl. Add the onions and its cooking oil. Add 2 tbsp sumac, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp Aleppo/Turkish pepper paste, and about 1/2 tsp salt. Taste and add the remaining 2 tbsp sumac, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and salt if you would like.
- At this point, the filling can be refrigerated up to 2 days or kept longer in the freezer. If you're making the wraps immediately, keep the oven at 350° C/180° C.
- If you have a round wrap, trim the ends so that it becomes a rectangle. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the wrap long ways, and brush olive oil on one side. On that same side, place about 2 teaspoons of filling in an even row. Roll the wrap tightly, and place seam side on the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush the tops with additional olive oil and baking until golden and crispy, about 10-15 minutes.