🍲 Baked Chicken with Onions, Sumac and Allspice (Musakhan)

Ingredients

• 1 ea. (about 3½ pounds / 1.5 kg) whole free-range chicken
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3½ pounds (1.5 kg) onions, peeled and sliced thin
• ¼ cup soumak
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 large khubz 'arabi (Arabic flatbread or pita bread), split open and separated
• Pine nuts to decorate

Method

1. Cut the chicken up into two breasts, two thighs, two legs, and two wings. Salt and pepper the chicken.
2. In a large, deep pot, heat ¼ cup of the olive oil, then lightly brown the chicken on all sides over a medium heat, about 20 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. Add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil to the pot and cook the onions until translucent, about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the sumac and allspice and cook for 2 minutes to mix.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
6. Cover a 9 x 12-inch baking dish with the Arabic bread. Spoon half the onions over each, then arrange the chicken on top of the onions and cover with the remaining onions and the juices from the casserole.
7. Bake until the chicken is golden crisp and almost falling off the bone, about 1½ hours.
8. Roast the pine nuts in a pan until golden in olive oil.
9. Sprinkle with the roasted pine nuts and serve with yoghurt.