Cook: 1 hour 5 minutes - 1 hour 35 minutes

Serves: 6 - 8

This is a real Middle Eastern medley, with za’atar, pomegranate molasses, sour cherries and aubergine being classic ingredients of the region. I love each ingredient on its own, so I’ve combined them into this punchy recipe. You can find sour cherries in Middle Eastern shops (either cans or frozen will do), but make sure you choose the pitted ones. This is a very practical dish because it’s all baked in one pan with minimal mess.

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
In a small bowl, mix the za’atar, ras el hanout, garlic salt, salt and half the olive oil until combined.
Place the aubergines and shallots in a large baking pan, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper, then mix well to coat the vegetables. Arrange the chicken in between the vegetables (not too snugly) and brush the chicken with the za’atar mixture. Scatter over the sour cherries and cook in the oven for 50–55 minutes until the chicken skin is golden and crispy.

Topics:

chicken recipe

Chicken

Ingredients

Name: Recipe: Za’atar and pomegranate molasses chicken with aubergine and sour cherries
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 min
Yield: 6 - 8
Ingredients: 2 ½ tbsp za’atar; 1 tsp ras el hanout; ½ tsp garlic salt; Pinch of salt; 120ml olive oil, plus an extra 3 tbsp for the pomegranate molasses glaze; 2 aubergines cut into small cubes; 10 banana shallots, cut in halves or quarters, depending on size; 10 mixed chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin-on; 1 can of pitted sour cherries (drained weight 400g); 4 tbsp pomegranate molasses

2 ½ tbsp za’atar
1 tsp ras el hanout
½ tsp garlic salt
Pinch of salt
120ml olive oil, plus an extra 3 tbsp for the pomegranate molasses glaze
2 aubergines cut into small cubes
10 banana shallots, cut in halves or quarters, depending on size
10 mixed chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin-on
1 can of pitted sour cherries (drained weight 400g)
4 tbsp pomegranate molasses