Sumac-Spiced Chicken with Pitas

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed

1 Tbl Shawarma Spice Blend

Sea salt and ground black pepper

6 Tbl Koroneiki Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, divided

½ cup toasted pine nuts, divided

1 large yellow onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

4 Tbl sumac, divided

2 tsp sweet paprika

3 cups water

4-8inch pita bread rounds

½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Tahini, to serve

Directions:

Use paper towels to pat the chicken dry, then season with salt, shawarma blend and pepper. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat 1 Tbl of the oil until just smoking.

Add half of the chicken in a single layer and cook until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with another 1 Tbl of oil and the remaining chicken. Set the chicken aside.

Chop ¼ cup of the pine nuts and set aside. With the pot over medium, heat 2 Tbl of the remaining oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened slightly, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, chopped pine nuts, 3 Tbl of the sumac and paprika. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the water, stir to combine and bring to a simmer.

Return the chicken and any juices to the pot. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 450ºF with a rack in the middle position. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a bowl. Use 2 forks to shred the meat into bite-size pieces.

Bring the liquid in the pot to a simmer over medium-high. Cook, stirring, until most of the moisture has evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the remaining ¼ cup whole pine nuts. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.

Brush the pita on both sides with the remaining 2 Tbl oil and arrange the rounds on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until heated through and softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbl sumac, then cut each round in half and transfer to a platter. Stir the parsley into the chicken and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve the chicken with the pita and tahini for drizzling.

Lili Courtney