Best Nifs Chicken And Spaghetti With A Middle Eastern Twist Recipes

NIF'S CHICKEN AND SPAGHETTI WITH A MIDDLE EASTERN TWIST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Pour oil into a small bowl and mix in cumin, allspice and cayenne pepper. Using your hands rub the seasoned oil all over your chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place the chicken, breast-side down in a roasting pan and roast for about 1 1/2 hours, or until well browned and cooked through, turning it over toward the end to brown the breast. When the chicken's nearly ready, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Take the chicken out of the oven and take the meat off the bone, leaving the skin on, except for the thick fatty stuff. Tear the chicken into medium-sized pieces. Make sure you tear the chicken apart over the roasting pan so you keep the juices in there for the sauce. You can use a knife and fork to tear it apart or wait until it is cooler and do it with your hands. Discard bones and put the chicken meat aside and keep warm.
• For the sauce, pour all the juices from the roasting pan into a saucepan. You will need about 1 cup, so add chicken broth if necessary. Add the drained sultanas and the pine nuts. Begin to simmer the sauce when you are ready to cook the pasta. Very important - taste the sauce and add more seasoning if you think it needs more.
• Cook and drain the pasta (Do NOT rinse your pasta), and toss it in the warm pot with the sauce until spaghetti is coated. Add chicken pieces and gently toss and put in large bowl. Sprinkle with almonds and parsley.

ONE-PAN CRISPY SPAGHETTI AND CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large, ovenproof lidded skillet and heat over high. Season the chicken with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then add to the hot oil, skin-side down. Cook for 7 minutes, without turning, to brown well.
• Turn the heat down to medium-high, then stir in the onion and turn over the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes, until the onion has softened and is lightly browned. Add the tomato paste, garlic and 1 tablespoon thyme, and cook, stirring the paste into the onions, for 2 minutes, until fragrant and everything is nicely browned.
• Add the boiling water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then add the spaghetti, stirring to submerge and evenly distribute. Use tongs to lift the chicken pieces so they sit on top of the spaghetti, skin-side up. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 30 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
• While the pasta is in the oven, in a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley, lemon zest and remaining 1 tablespoon thyme.
• After the pasta has baked for 30 minutes, remove it from the oven and reset the temperature to a high broil (grill) setting. Sprinkle the Parmesan bread crumbs over the pasta and chicken, drizzle with the remaining oil and return to the center rack to broil (grill) for 3 to 4 minutes, until nicely browned and crisp. Leave to settle for about 5 minutes before serving warm, directly from the pan.

MIDDLE EASTERN-INSPIRED HERB AND GARLIC CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine chicken with all but 1 teaspoon of the grated garlic (save that teaspoon for the yogurt sauce), the zest and juice of 1 lemon, oil, parsley, mint, thyme, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the sesame seeds and sumac, if using. Cover and marinate for 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature; you can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.
• Heat grill or broiler. If grilling, cook chicken over high heat until charred in spots, 4 to 7 minutes. Flip pieces and continue grilling until just cooked through, another 4 to 7 minutes. If broiling, arrange a rack 3 to 4 inches from flame. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spread chicken out in a single layer. Broil chicken, turning halfway through cooking, until well colored and charred in spots, 4 to 7 minutes per side. Be careful that it doesn't burn.
• While chicken cooks, place yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in the reserved grated garlic and lemon zest and season to taste with salt. Serve the chicken drizzled with olive oil, remaining lemon juice to taste, black pepper, parsley and sesame seeds and sumac, if using, with the yogurt alongside for dipping.