Ramadan Recipes: Zaatar Crusted Lemon Chicken by Sweet Pillar™

Zaatar is one of those things that I grew up with and was as common to me as hummus and pizza were. At home we ate it one of two ways, and that was either mezze style right next to olive oil or like an open faced pizza with olive oil called "mana -eesh." Olive oil and zaatar go hand in hand like....peanut butter jelly time.

So, the zaatar that is not from the Middle East will never taste the same, because it uses wild thyme specific to the Levant region (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, etc.) and it's prepared using dried wild thyme, toasted sesame seeds, oregano, and sometimes sumac all ground up.

There is so much to say about zaatar, I could go on all day. Literally! For now, I'll leave you with the zaatar crusted lemon chicken recipe.

Ingredients to make zaatar crusted lemon chicken:
6 Chicken thighs (with bones and skin on)
2 Tbsp zaatar
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Cup chicken stock
1/2 Cup diced potatoes
Salt and pepper

Steps to make zaatar crusted lemon chicken:
1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Clean chicken very well!
3. Rub the chicken, zaatar, lemon, potatoes, salt and pepper all together.
4. Place all the ingredients in a in 9x9 Pyrex cooking pan.
5. Evenly distribute chicken stock over chicken.
6. Cover and put in the oven for 45 minutes.
7. Uncover for 5 minutes to brown the top.
8. Serve with couscous, rice, or on its own!

For more recipes by Nadia Hubbi, check out her blog Sweet Pillar™.