Ayesha Kalaji’s Makmoura

Ayesha Kalaji's Makmoura as seen and heard on The Recipe podcast.

Prep Time: 60 mins
Cooking Time: 35 mins
2 people

Used in this recipe

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs, skin on bone out
A good glug of olive oil
100g Greek yoghurt
1 small pack of ready roll puff pastry
A drizzle of pomegranate molasses
A pinch of Aleppo chili powder

Chicken Spice

2tbsp ground coriander
1tbsp ground cumin
1tbsp ground cardamom
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp ground ginger

Chicken butter

125g butter
1tsp turmeric powder
1tsp chicken spice
1tbsp sesame seed
1tbsp nigella seed
Salad
1 small bunch of mint
1 small bunch of parsley
1 small red onion
2tbsp pomegranate molasses
Juice of half a lemon
1tsp sumac

Method

Turn the oven to 180 degrees for a fan oven. 200 for non fan.
Start with the macerated onions. Thinly slice a red onion and mix with the pomegranate molasses, sumac and lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt
Next we will make the chicken spice in a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder. I make large batches of this to keep at home.
Spread the chicken thighs fl at and rub liberally with the spice blend and olive oil.
Pop onto a baking tray and put in the oven for 25 minutes, checking periodically as we don’t want to overcook the chicken. Looking for an internal temperature of 73 degrees.
Cut 4 circles of the puff pasty into 10cm circles and put on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silpat
Pop in the fridge
Melt the butter for the chicken butter in a pan and melt. When it starts to bubble add the spices, nigella and the sesame seeds take off the heat. Save a few nigella seeds for the pastry,
Take the chilled pastry out of the fridge and brush with a thin layer of the spiced butter and sprinkle over a few nigella seeds. Put another piece of parchment or a Silpat and another baking sheet on top. Put a frying pan or sauce pan on top to weight this down.
This wants to go into the oven for 8-9 minutes until golden and crisp.
Put in for longer if it is still soft. It wants a slightly sandy feel to the top.
Pick the parsley and mint leaves and add to the bowl with the macerated onions. These should have softened a bit by now.
And now we assemble!
Make sure the butter is warm and cut your chicken thighs in half.
Put a circle of yogurt on the bottom of your plate. Add two halves of a thigh. Dunk your pastry circles in the spiced butter and place atop the chicken. Top this with some of your herb salad. Then place another thigh cut in half on top of this. Top with another piece of pastry dipped in the butter. Top with more of the salad.
Drizzle the plate with some pomegranate molasses. Around 1tsp. Sprinkle over a pinch of Aleppo chilli. And douse liberally with the spiced butter, making sure to stir it to get all the nigella and sesame that sinks to the bottom.

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