Egyptian Lemon-Mustard Chicken Potato Bake (My Mom's Sanyet Ferakh Bel Batates)
Fork-tender potatoes soak up a zesty mustard-lemon marinade, layered with fresh and dried herbs. Tomato-free, juicy, and aromatic—this Egyptian-inspired bake is bright, comforting, and full of flavor.
Do you like this recipe? Please click here to rate it 🙏
Ingredients
- 1 KG chicken cut into pieces , or two chicken hens, preferably cage-free and organic.
- 1 tablespoon Dry Brine , recipe follows
- Chicken Marinade , recipe follows
- 2 Russet potatoes
- 3 garlic cloves , whole or slivered
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon , sliced
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- Salt and pepper , to taste
- ¼ cup water
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 1 sage sprig
Dry Brine
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 zest of unwaxed lemon
Chicken Marinade
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons 7 spices
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- ½ teaspoon dry oregano
- Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
Glaze
Instructions
Dry Brine the Chicken
- Massage the chicken with the salt, pepper, and lemon zest thoroughly and let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Marinate the Chicken
- Massage the chicken pieces thoroughly with the mustard, spices, and olive oil.
Assemble the Dish
- Spray the baking pan with some oil, and arrange the slices of potatoes evenly. Season the potatoes with salt, pepper, and sumac. Top it with the slices of onion and scatter the garlic in the baking pan. Arrange the pieces of marinated chicken on top. Tuck in the lemon slices. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses over the chicken. Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan.
Simmer & Bake
- First, bring the chicken and potatoes to a simmer for 10 minutes to partially cook the potatoes. Transfer the chicken-potato cake to a preheated oven at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken skin is golden, the chicken is cooked through, and you can easily detach the wings, and the potatoes are fork tender.
Serve
- Serve chicken-potato bake with vermicelli rice and "Salata Baladi" Egyptian Salad.
Nermine's Notes
- Always dry-brine the chicken to tenderize the flesh and strip its gamey flavor.
- Use organic or all-natural chicken that are small in size such as chicken hens.
- Simmer the chicken-potato bake 15 minutes before baking.
- Don't overbake the chicken, as overtaking will dry it out and split the sauce.