Spiced Baked Palestinian Chicken

This stuff is really tasty! Great with tabbouli, flatbread, and hummus. Good in the winter, but a great picnic sort of meal, too.

From my Arabic Cook Book, published by Najda, 1982.

Rub 3 lb of chicken with the juice of one lemon; this could be skinless/boneless, or a whole fryer with skin and bones, your choice. Season with:

3 tablespoons sumac** (a specialty spice in middle eastern shops)
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Lay it all out in a flat baking pan that has been lightly oiled with olive oil, no more than one piece deep. Cover. Let rest for one hour (I do this in the fridge, since I'm paranoid about chicken breeding bacteria).

Mix one large onion, sliced thin, 3 tblsp olive oil, and 2 tblsp pine nuts, and spread over chicken.

Bake uncovered for one hour at 400 F, until golden brown. If it starts to look too dark, you can cover it before it's done. Serve hot. The recipe says this serves 4 - I'd say it serves 6 to 8, but it depends on the hunger factor. You decide!

** Sumac is a specialty spice that I get at a local middle eastern shop - the kind of place that sells Halal meats is a good place to try, when looking for it. When I worked downtown, there was a great place at the Pike Place market that sold it. Now, I go to a Halal place on Lake City Way. It is reddish, and has a tart, lemony sort of flavor. I would not dream of substituting something like paprika as the flavor is entirely different.