Jaj w Batata (Levantine Chicken & Potatoes)
Every culture has their version of chicken and potatoes and they each have their own way of evoking feelings of comfort, nostalgia, and just pure joy. In the Levant we do a chicken and potato that's very similar to the Greek style. We go heavy on the garlic and lemon but with a few extra twists that make it unique to our region. It's another easy dish to throw together and will guarantee smiles all over.
Jaj w Batata:
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Ingredients
Chicken & Potatoes
4- 6 Chicken Quarters
4-6 White Potato
1 Yellow Onion
3-5 Garlic Cloves (minced)
2 cups Plain Yogurt
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Tomato Paste
2-3 tbsp Zawi Chicken Blend
Salt to taste
1 Lemon
Toum
20-30 Garlic Cloves
1-1.5 cup Neutral Oil
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
Salt to taste
Garnish
Shatta
Pickles
Pita Bread
Aleppo Pepper
Parsley
Instructions
Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add the minced garlic, plain yogurt, tomato paste, Zawi Chicken Blend, salt to taste, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the bowl. Massage into the chicken until everything is evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to marinade overnight or at least 2 hours if baking the same day.
Slice the potato and onion into several thick wedges and set aside.
Lay the onions on the bottom of a baking tray. Place the chicken on top. Wedge the potatoes all over (it’s ok to overcrowd). Add a generous drizzle of olive oil all over. Place in a 400F oven for 70-90 minutes.
If making homemade toum, get a food processor and add all the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Blitz the garlic and salt until a garlic paste forms. Then run the processor continuously while slowly adding neutral oil (1-2 tsp at a time) until all the oil is incorporated. Continue adding oil slowly until the emulsion holds and you get a fluffy white spread. This takes roughly 3/4 - 1 cup of oil to achieve.
At this point you don’t need to run the processor continuously. Slowly alternate between lemon juice and neutral oil also in 1-2tsp increments until each is fully incorporated. Repeat and taste test until it’s to your liking.
Serve the chicken and potatoes with toum, shatta, pickles, and bread.