Fancy showing off this weekend? Well try this recipe, which brings together the smoky magic of outdoor BBQ and the comforting layers of a classic Lebanese fattee - a dish known for its contrast of textures and bold Middle Eastern flavours.
We start by spatchcocking a whole chicken (which we can do for you at T&G) and slow-smoking it over wood for maximum tenderness and deep, aromatic kick. In this instance, we have used cherrywood and really you want to keep things mild. Oak or hickory can be a bit too full on for chicken
Then once the chicken is perfectly cooked and infused with smoke, it becomes the star ingredient in a beautifully layered fattee, featuring fluffy rice, tomatoes and aubergines, crispy toasted flatbread, and a cool, garlicky yogurt sauce, all topped with toasted nuts and a drizzle of hot ghee.
Now then, this is a BIG labour of love but is absolutely banging and a perfect dish for gatherings, combining rustic BBQ technique with the elegance and heritage of Levantine cooking. .
Impress yer family and friends.
Ingredients
Smoked Spatchcock Chicken
1 whole chicken (1.8 to 2.2 kg), spatchcocked
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs Tasty Bird Rub
Wood chunks or chips for smoking (applewood, cherry, or pecan)
Tomato sauce
5 tbs olive oil
5 garlic cloves, sliced
4cm cinnamon stick
2 x 400g cans plum tomatoes, drained and tomatoes squashed well
Rice
300g basmati rice, unwashed
Good pinch of Maldon Sea Salt
75g butter
4cm cinnamon stick
½ large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 x 400g can cooked chickpeas
485ml water
Aubergine
2 medium aubergines, cut into 3cm cubes and tossed with 1 tsp salt
8 tbs olive oil
Crispy Bread
2 pieces Lebanese flatbread or pita
Olive oil, for drizzling
Pinch of salt
Yogurt Sauce
500g plain Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of half a lemon
Salt, to taste
Extras
2 tbs toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons ghee or butter, melted
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Maldon Sea Salt and ground black pepper, for seasoning
Method
Step 1: Smoke the Chicken
Start with a whole chicken — about 1.5 to 2 kilos — and spatchcock it. That just means removing the backbone and flattening it out, which helps it cook more evenly on the grill. Pat it dry with some paper towel, then rub it down with a marinade made from olive oil and Tasty Bird Rub. Get under the skin with that marinade if you can. Let the bird hang out in the fridge for at least an hour, or up to overnight if you’re planning ahead.
When you’re ready to cook, fire up your BBQ for indirect heat — you want the temp sitting around 120 to 135°C (that’s about 250 to 275°F). Throw a chunk or two of smoking wood onto the coals — applewood and cherrywood are both great for chicken — then place the chicken skin-side up on the cooler side of the grill. Close the lid and let the smoke do its thing for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the internal temp in the thickest part of the breast hits 74°C (165°F). If you want crispy skin, move it over to the hot side of the grill for the last few minutes to finish it off.
Once it’s done, take the chicken off the grill and let it rest for 15 minutes. Then chop it up into pieces - this is what you’ll use for the fattee.
Step 2: Make the Fattee
Now for the layers. First, rub the rice in three changes of cold water to wash off the starch. Cover with warm water and stir in the salt and let it soak for 30-60 minutes. Melt the butter over a medium heat and add the cinnamon and onion. Fry for 10-15 minutes until golden brown, stirring every now and then. Remove from heat and set aside.
Next, make the tomato sauce. Heat up the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the garlic until light brown. Add the cinnamon and tomatoes and simmer for half an hour, then season with salt and pepper.
While that’s going, tear up some Lebanese pita or flatbread into little pieces. Toss them with a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt, then bake them in the oven (or chuck them in the air fryer) at 180°C (350°F) until they’re golden and crisp. It should only take about 8 to 10 minutes.
Next, mix together your yogurt sauce: Greek yogurt, a crushed garlic clove, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. You can also stir in a bit of tahini if you want it extra rich. Taste and adjust — it should be tangy and garlicky and just a little salty.
Toast a handful of pine nuts or slivered almonds in a dry pan (or in a bit of butter or ghee) until they’re golden and fragrant. You’ll also want to melt a couple tablespoons of butter or ghee for drizzling at the end.
About fifteen minutes before you are ready to eat, place the saucepan with the onions back over a high heat. Drain the rice well and stir into your onions and stir through for a minute before adding the water and chickpeas. Add a pinch of salt and cover with baking parchment followed by the lid. Boil fast for 5 minutes and then turn the heat to low for another 5 minutes.
Rinse the salt off the aubergine and dry with kitchen towel. Heat up the oil in a large frying pan over a medium to high heat and fry the aubergine until soft and golden. Cover and keep warm.
Now, time to build it. Grab a big serving dish or some individual bowls. Start with a layer of crispy bread at the bottom. Spoon the warm rice over that. Add the chopped smoked chicken, fried aubergine and a good drizzle of tomato sauce all over Pour the yogurt sauce generously on top, and then finish with the melted ghee or butter. Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts over everything, followed by a handful of chopped parsley.
Serve it up immediately while everything’s still warm and crisp and creamy all at once. It’s smoky, crunchy, cool, buttery, and just ridiculously good.
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