Baharat chicken with hummus and flatbreads

Baharat is a Middle Eastern spice blend used to season meat, chicken, or fish. This beautiful mix of sweet, smoky, fragrant and tangy spices is sometimes called Lebanese Seven Spice. There are lots of variations out there, each cook will have their own favourite or family recipe, but the basic ingredients are coriander, cumin, cloves, black peppercorns, cardamon, and nutmeg, with either paprika or chilli to bring the heat. Aleppo pepper is a lovely chilli powder to use, but it can be difficult to source, so I often use smoked paprika instead which brings a beautiful smoky flavour to the mix. If you are using Aleppo pepper, use just one tablespoon.

You can buy Lebanese Seven Spice in some Asian supermarkets, but this Baharat recipe is quick and easy to make from scratch. It yields a good quantity which can be stored in an airtight jar for a few months. It is a lovely spice blend to have in your cupboard and works beautifully with any grilled meat, especially lamb. Try it with lamb chops served with yoghurt, cucumber and mint salad and another big bowl of fresh salad. A delicious meal that can be put together in less than thirty minutes for a great mid-week dinner.

My Baharat Chicken recipe will feed three to four people when served with a fresh salad on the side. If you want to make a bit of feast for a gang of people, serve it with the salad and my Banjan Borani, a lovely Afghan dish of spiced aubergine and tomato, and my Baked Sweet Potato with Spiced Chickpeas and Hummus. Both of those recipes are available on ieFood.

Baharat Chicken with Hummus and Flatbreads Coriander, cumin, cloves, black peppercorns, cardamon, and nutmeg, with either paprika or chilli bring the heat in a Middle-Eastern style. Servings 2 Preparation Time 40 mins Cooking Time 30 mins Total Time 1 hours 10 mins Course Main Cuisine Middle Eastern Ingredients Baharat Spice Mix 2 tsp coriander seed 1 tbsp cumin seed 1 tsp cloves 1 tbsp black peppercorns 1 tsp cardamon pods 2 tbsp smoked paprika ¾ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp grated nutmeg Baharat Chicken 400g skinless boneless chicken thighs 2 tbsp olive oil 1 large red onion 1 small clove garlic 3 tsp Baharat spice mix 1 sweet red pepper Salt and lemon juice to season Hummus 400g tinned chickpeas 100g Greek yoghurt 2 tbsp tahini 2 tbsp Olive oil 1 clove garlic Juice of half a lemon ½ tsp salt Good grind of black pepper 1 ice cube To serve Chopped flat-leaf parsley Fresh pomegranate seeds Toasted pitta breads Method To make the Baharat Spice blend, remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and pop them into a small pan along with the coriander and cumin seeds, the cloves, and the black peppercorns. Toast the spices in the dry pan over medium heat until they are fragrant, three to four minutes should do it. Toss or stir them regularly and keep an eye on the spices so that they do not burn. Cool and then grind with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Finally, add the paprika, cinnamon, and grated nutmeg, and stir those in. Pop the blend into an airtight jar and it will keep in your spice drawer or cupboard for a few months. Next, prepare the chicken. You can use skinless, boneless chicken breast if you wish, but I prefer the flavour of thigh meat for this recipe. Cut the chicken thighs into one to two-centimetre-wide strips. Peel and slice the red onion. Peel and chop the garlic. Wash and de-seed the red pepper and slice it into wide strips, about three centimetres thick is perfect. Heat a heavy-based non-stick pan over a high heat and, when it is good and hot, add the olive oil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions. Cook for three to four minutes until they begin to soften and add the garlic. Cook for one more minute, stirring all the time and add the chicken. Add two teaspoons of Baharat Spice Blend and stir everything to coat the chicken and onions with the spice. Continue to cook until the chicken is done, about seven to eight minutes. After five minutes, add the red pepper and stir it in. Give it another few minutes and then test the chicken by cutting through a piece to make sure it is cooked through. If it is done, taste and season with some flaky sea salt, more spice blend if you wish, and a splash of lemon juice. While the chicken is cooking, make the hummus. Drain the chickpeas, pop them into a blender or food processor along with the roughly chopped garlic, yoghurt, olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, salt and pepper and blitz until smooth. Add an ice cube towards the end and blitz that in. This will help to loosen up the hummus a little more and make it super smooth and creamy Taste and add more seasoning if required. Toast some pitta breads, two per person is perfect, and cut them into strips. Wash and roughly chop some fresh flat-leaf parsley and remove the seeds from half a fresh pomegranate. You can serve this dish in individual portions if you wish, but I love to serve it on one big platter and have everyone help themselves. Spread lots of the hummus on a platter and then spoon the Baharat chicken on top. Scatter with the pomegranate seeds and then finish with some chopped flat-leaf parsley. Serve with lots of toasted pitta breads on the side and use those to scoop up the hummus and chicken to eat with your hands.

Coriander, cumin, cloves, black peppercorns, cardamon, and nutmeg, with either paprika or chilli bring the heat in a Middle-Eastern style.

400g skinless boneless chicken thighs

Salt and lemon juice to season

Juice of half a lemon

Good grind of black pepper

To make the Baharat Spice blend, remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and pop them into a small pan along with the coriander and cumin seeds, the cloves, and the black peppercorns. Toast the spices in the dry pan over medium heat until they are fragrant, three to four minutes should do it. Toss or stir them regularly and keep an eye on the spices so that they do not burn. Cool and then grind with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Finally, add the paprika, cinnamon, and grated nutmeg, and stir those in. Pop the blend into an airtight jar and it will keep in your spice drawer or cupboard for a few months.

Next, prepare the chicken. You can use skinless, boneless chicken breast if you wish, but I prefer the flavour of thigh meat for this recipe. Cut the chicken thighs into one to two-centimetre-wide strips.

Peel and slice the red onion. Peel and chop the garlic. Wash and de-seed the red pepper and slice it into wide strips, about three centimetres thick is perfect.

Heat a heavy-based non-stick pan over a high heat and, when it is good and hot, add the olive oil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions. Cook for three to four minutes until they begin to soften and add the garlic. Cook for one more minute, stirring all the time and add the chicken. Add two teaspoons of Baharat Spice Blend and stir everything to coat the chicken and onions with the spice.

Continue to cook until the chicken is done, about seven to eight minutes. After five minutes, add the red pepper and stir it in. Give it another few minutes and then test the chicken by cutting through a piece to make sure it is cooked through. If it is done, taste and season with some flaky sea salt, more spice blend if you wish, and a splash of lemon juice.

While the chicken is cooking, make the hummus. Drain the chickpeas, pop them into a blender or food processor along with the roughly chopped garlic, yoghurt, olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, salt and pepper and blitz until smooth. Add an ice cube towards the end and blitz that in. This will help to loosen up the hummus a little more and make it super smooth and creamy Taste and add more seasoning if required.

Toast some pitta breads, two per person is perfect, and cut them into strips. Wash and roughly chop some fresh flat-leaf parsley and remove the seeds from half a fresh pomegranate.

You can serve this dish in individual portions if you wish, but I love to serve it on one big platter and have everyone help themselves. Spread lots of the hummus on a platter and then spoon the Baharat chicken on top. Scatter with the pomegranate seeds and then finish with some chopped flat-leaf parsley. Serve with lots of toasted pitta breads on the side and use those to scoop up the hummus and chicken to eat with your hands.

Read MoreColm O'Gorman: Spiced lamb with roasted red pepper labneh and parsnip crisps

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