Lemon Thyme and Ginger

Middle Eastern Style Baked Sesame Chicken

Middle Eastern Style Baked Sesame Chicken with recipe.

Coating chicken thighs with spices and sesame seeds adds a unique flavor to an otherwise ordinary weeknight chicken dinner. This recipe for baked sesame chicken should not be confused with the sesame chicken you find in Chinese restaurants. There is no breading, the chicken is baked not fried and the flavor is very different. Middle Eastern Style Baked Sesame Chicken is made with boneless chicken thighs, with a generous coating of toasted sesame seeds flavored with spices and ingredients traditionally found in Middle Eastern foods, like cumin, coriander and pomegranate molasses.

Middle Eastern food is often seasoned with a mixture of fresh herbs and spices creating one complex and unique flavor out of many ingredients. At first glance of a typical ingredients list one would wonder how will all the spices and herbs taste together? It would seem like there is too much flavoring going on and the ingredients would compete. Yet, Middle Eastern food is the master of mixing all these spices and herbs in just the right way to create one harmonious flavor out of many.

Middle Eastern Style Baked Sesame Chicken with recipe.

Baked Sesame Chicken

When I started developing this recipe for baked sesame chicken, I loaded it up with a lot of different spices and ingredients that I love in Middle Eastern foods. Yet, after my first batch I decided to keep the flavor profile of baked sesame chicken on the subtle side. What stood out to me is the combination of the toasty notes of sesame seeds and the sweet and tangy flavor of pomegranate molasses and wanted to make sure these flavors stood out. It took a lot of will power to resist my temptation to add saffron to the marinade, but I do believe it would work nicely here.

Chicken benefits from some marinade, especially when the skins and bones are not there to add extra flavor. However, you do need to be careful and not marinade chicken for too long when there is a lot of acid. Chicken, especially boneless breasts, turns mealy if it sits in a marinade for too many hours. In this recipe, the amount of time marinating is kept at a minimum of 30 minutes at room temperature seasoned with Kosher salt, then an hour in the refrigerator coated in the sesame marinade. There is not a lot of acid in the marinade, so the chicken thighs can take a longer marinade if you wish, but not overnight.

Like the yogurt dressing, the roasted vegetables are more like a condiment for the baked sesame chicken as opposed to a vegetable side dish. The concentrated and bright flavors of roasted fennel and grape tomatoes help the nutty and subtle sweetness stand out. The yogurt dressing is optional, but I think the vegetables roasting in the oven with the chicken is an integral flavor for the meal.

To Grill or Not to Grill

This time of year, it is tempting to want to grill these chicken thighs. The days are longer, warmer and bright, and I just want to spend to whole time outside. However, I have good reason to bake sesame chicken and not grill it.  Sesame seeds burn easily when seared over the hot coals.  Unlike chicken meat, the charred sesame seeds turn very bitter and unpleasant. Therefore, this is not a recipe that effortlessly transitions from roasting to grilling.

Middle Eastern Style Baked Sesame Chicken with recipe.

Specialty Ingredients for Middle Eastern Style Baked Sesame Chicken

There are a couple of specialty items in the recipe, Aleppo Pepper and Pomegranate Molasses. both ingredients are available at specialties markets. You can find both at Middle Eastern food stores like Sahardis in Brooklyn or online. If you are interested you can make pomegranate molasses using this recipe from Alton Brown. Personally, I have not had a lot of luck making it, so I buy it.

Pomegranate molasses has a unique flavor of tart, sweet and caramelized pomegranate syrup and there is not a good substitute.

If you cannot find Aleppo pepper, you can substitute it with most varieties of chili peppers.

Middle Eastern Style Baked Sesame Chicken with recipe.

Sesame Seed Love

I love just about anything with the toasty nuttiness of sesame seeds and sprinkle them on bread, in salads, stirred into rice as in Crunchy Jasmine Rice, sprinkled over a stir fry in Sesame Shrimp with Spinach, or as a featured flavor like in Cold Sesame Noodles. Even though they are seeds, I get the same warm nutty flavor I love.

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Middle Eastern Style Baked Sesame Chicken with recipe.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs are staple dinner items in many households, especially mine. They are easy to prepare and do not take a lot of time to cook. We eat them so often, it is nice to have a variety of marinades for chicken to change things up a bit. Baked Sesame Chicken is a great alternative to a breaded cutlet creating a meal with a unique flavor profile. The combination of the nutty sesame seeds and the sweet and bitter components of the pomegranate molasses, orange zest and honey, compliment the roasted chicken and vegetables for a unique tasting chicken dinner.

Roast thinly sliced fennel and grape tomatoes to brighten up the nutty chicken. The yogurt dressing is optional and adds a tangy contrast to the roasted chicken.

Serve with a green salad made with arugula, orange segments and avocado slices with a citrus vinaigrette.

This meal is also delicious made with skin on and bone in chicken thighs. Or, any part of the chicken with or without the skin and bones.   

Course Dinner, Main Entree
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Resting time 1 hour
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Ginger

Ingredients

Marinade:

  • 1.85 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 5
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ¾ tsp dried oregano
  • A few grounds of white pepper
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp pomegranate molasses
  • 1 TB dry white wine or vermouth
  • 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
  • Zest from half an orange and orange slices
  • 3 TB toasted sesame seeds
  • Sesame chicken

Marinated sesame chicken thighs

  • 1 fennel bulb with fronds about 13 oz (380 g)
  • 8 oz 2331 g grape tomatoes
  • 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
  • 3-4 orange slices

Yogurt Sauce:

  • ¼ cup plain yogurt or crème fraiche
  • ½ clove pressed garlic green germ removed
  • Pinch of Aleppo pepper flakes or a pinch of ground cayenne pepper
  • If it is too thick thin it out with a squeeze of lemon juice or milk. Adding a little at a time until you get the right consistency for easy drizzling.

Instructions

Make the marinade

  1. Place the chicken thighs on a rimmed baking sheet large enough to hold the chicken thighs and pat them dry on both sides. Sprinkle Kosher salt over both sides of the chicken and let it sit on the counter at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

  2. Mix the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl large enough to hold all the chicken thighs. After the 30 minutes rest, add the seasoned chicken thighs to the marinade and toss around with your hands to get the chicken pieces well coated with the sesame seeds and marinade. 

  3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate the chicken for one hour or more. 

  4. 20 minutes before you want to bake the chicken, turn the oven on to 400°F (200°C / Gas Mark 6) and place the rack in the middle position. 

Putting it all together

  1. Cut off the stalk and fronds of the fennel bulb, then cut the bulb in quarters. Slice the bulb quarters into thin pieces less than a quarter of an inch (.5 cm) thick. Add the sliced fennel to a large mixing bowl. Add the grape tomatoes, the extra virgin olive oil, some fennel fronds, a pinch of Kosher salt and a couple grounds of black pepper. Toss to evenly coat the vegetables with olive oil. 

  2. Arrange the chicken thighs on a rimmed baking sheet. Add the fennel and grape tomatoes and arrange around the chicken. Slide in the orange slices near the chicken.
  3. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a fork, about 165°F (74°C).

  4. While the chicken is cooking, mix in a small bowl the yogurt, pressed garlic Aleppo pepper and lemon juice. Add a pinch of Kosher salt and a couple of grounds of fresh black pepper. Taste and correct seasoning. Cover with plastic wrap or lid and let it rest on the counter until ready to serve.

  5. Serve hot drizzled with yogurt sauce and a tossed salad of arugula and fresh herbs, avocado and orange segments.
Middle Eastern Style Baked Sesame Chicken with recipe.

© 2018, Ginger Smith- Lemon Thyme and Ginger. All rights reserved.

Quick and Crunchy Jasmine Rice

Quick and Crunchy Jasmine Rice, recipe.

The first time I saw my husband drowning his rice with soy sauce, I knew I needed to find a way to change this habit. No matter what we were eating if there was white or brown rice, the soy sauce came out of the refrigerator and set at the table. The irony is, he did not pour soy sauce on his rice when we ate Chinese food. For some reason, rice bathed in soy sauce really bothered me, especially when our sons followed his example. To me it was like adding a tablespoon of table salt to the already seasoned rice. All you would taste is the soy sauce and not the rice. Basmati or jasmine rice have such a clean flavor and is a lovely compliment for the main entrée at its side. It is a shame to disguise the clean flavor of this comforting grain.

From that moment, I changed the way I cook rice. Unless I am serving rice with a stew or a saucy entrée, I usually cook rice in vegetable or chicken stock and add some sautéed mushrooms and green peas. The mushrooms add subtle flavor and usually compliments the other parts of the meal. Even those perks can get mundane if it is a regular item with dinner. It is time to switch things up.

Quick and Crunchy Jasmine Rice, a recipe

Crunchy Jasmine Rice, recipe.

Recently, I discovered Patricia Wells’ recipe, Crunchy Jasmine Rice from Master Recipes, and I had to try it. Often, I garnish rice with pistachios or almonds and fresh herbs, but it never occurred to me to cook rice with nuts or seeds because I thought they would get soggy. Surprisingly, the peanuts kept their crunch after cooking with the rice. This recipe is brilliant in its’ simplicity and has an addictive nutty flavor. Besides the great taste, one of the best features of this jasmine rice is once the water boils, the rice cooks in 10 minutes. At first, I did not believe it, but it is true the rice cooks in 10 minutes. The rice wasn’t hard, mushy or chalky, just sweet grains of jasmine rice with the peanuts and seeds cooked to perfection.

The only change I made was to add fresh minced herbs like parsley and celery leaves. The fresh herb flavor gives an extra punch of sunshine to the nutty rice. The next time I make it I want to add some golden raisins soaked in red wine vinegar. The sweetness from the raisins and a touch of acid will really liven up this side dish.

Crunchy jasmine rice is a wonderful side dish with just about anything like grilled meats, roasts, chicken and fish. If you are allergic to peanuts substitute them with cashews, walnuts or hulled pumpkin seeds. Serve crunchy rice immediately or turn it into a rice salad with raisins, chopped vegetables and a light vinaigrette. Dress the rice salad right before you want to serve it.

Serve Crunchy Jasmine Rice With:

Oven Poached Sole Wrapped in Fresh Herbs

Rolled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Honey Mustard Spatchcock Chicken

Rainbow Trout with Lemon and Dill

Quick and Crunchy Jasmine Rice, a recipe.

How to Make a Vegan Entrée with Crunchy Jasmine Rice

Most plant foods do not have all twelve of the essential amino acids, commonly known as the proteins. Vegetarian and vegan diets benefit from food combining. Honestly, all diets benefit from food combining. When eaten separately, legumes and grains come up short providing all 12 of the essential amino acids. When combined in one meal they compliment each other nutritiously and as well as flavor. What grains lack in essential proteins, legumes have. Jasmine rice mixed with peanuts and seeds become a foundation for a complete vegetarian meal.

I like to mix additional legumes like lentils with crunchy jasmine rice for a vegetarian or vegan main entrée. I add about 1 – 2 cups (250 – 500 ml) of cooked Du Puy, or Pardina lentils, to the bowl of crunchy jasmine rice. Then, I make a rice bowl with the rice and lentil mix and add some fresh and roasted vegetables.  Top it off with some tahini dressing. Tahini dressing happens to be one of my favorite dressing and accentuates the nutty flavor of the rice.

Quick and Crunchy Jasmine Rice, a recipe.

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Quick and Crunchy Jasmine Rice

For those moments when plain rice just isn't enough. This is a great rice side dish with a nutty flavor. If you can't eat peanuts, walnuts or cashews would taste great. Or, make it nut free and substitute the peanuts with hulled pumpkin seeds. Serve this as a side dish with just about anything like chicken, fish, beef or lamb. Or as the foundation for a delicious vegan or vegetarian entree with lentils, roasted vegetables and tahini dressing. This recipe is from Patricia Wells, Master Recipes .
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 13 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Author Ginger

Ingredients

  • ½ cup 125 ml / 60 g roasted and salted peanuts
  • 1 ½ cups 375 ml / 250 g jasmine rice
  • ½ cup 125 ml / 70 g mixed sesame seeds, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 2 cups 500 ml water, vegetable stock or chicken stock
  • ½ cup chopped parsley and celery leaves

Instructions

  1. Coarsely chop the peanuts and place them in a 3-quart sauce pan.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and turn the heat on the stove to high. Bring the rice mixture to a boil, then cover the pot and turn the heat to low. Simmer until the rice is cooked al dente, about 10 minutes.
  3. Remove the bay leaf and add the cooked rice to a large mixing bowl. Fluff the rice with a fork and add the parsley and celery leaves.
  4. Serve warm.
Crunchy Jasmine Rice, recipe.

© 2018, Ginger Smith- Lemon Thyme and Ginger. All rights reserved.

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