Warm maftool salad with za’atar chicken

Maftool is a plump and round Palestinian couscous made from wheat fl our. Sometimes labelled as ‘giant couscous’ in the West, it is a wonderfully versatile ingredient with a texture similar to pasta, so it keeps its bite and shape when cooked. The word maftool means ‘hand-rolled’ in Arabic and, today, Palestinian women prepare it exactly as their grandmothers did, working in small groups to crack and roll the wheat with their hands before placing it out under the hot sun to dry. This fl avoursome recipe is my favourite way of using this ancient grain food; it is a dish that sings with the bright f l avours of tangy sumac and aromatic fresh herbs. I prefer to use wholewheat maftool, as it gives a slightly nuttier taste and texture, but if you are using regular maftool, simply reduce the volume of cooking liquid a little

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Step 1

Using a sharp knife, slash the thigh of each chicken leg diagonally in 3–4 places, cutting down to the bone. Place the chicken in a bowl or plastic food container, drizzle over the extra virgin olive oil, garlic, za’atar and lime juice and season with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. With your hands, rub the marinade into the chicken, then cover and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to 6 hours, for the f l avours to infuse the meat.

Step 2

When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/Gas 6. Place the chicken legs in a roasting tray and bake for around 35 minutes, or until the juices from the chicken run clear when pierced at their thickest part.

Step 3

Meanwhile, fry the onions in 2 tablespoons light olive oil for 15 minutes, until they are soft. Add the garlic and allspice and fry for a further 2 minutes. Then pour in the maftool, stock and 100ml water and stir well. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the maftool is soft and all the cooking liquid has evaporated.

Step 4

As varieties of maftool can vary, check on it after 15 minutes and splash in a touch more water if the pan dries out before the grains are ready.

Step 5

Chop the green beans into 4cm-long pieces. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and cook the beans until they are just tender but still have some bite; depending on the variety, this can take 3–6 minutes. Drain well.

Step 6

When the maftool has cooled a little, transfer to a serving bowl and add the sumac, lemon juice, green beans, rocket, parsley, mint and extra virgin olive oil, stirring in 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as you like.

Step 7

When the chicken has cooked, leave it to rest for 5 minutes before serving it with the maftool salad, spooning the chicken juices over each leg just before you tuck in.