Ferakh Bel Batates Recipe (Egyptian Chicken-Potato Bake): صينية فراخ بالبطاطس
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Equipment
- 1 Roaster/Baking Pan 12" x 7.8” non stick, stove top and oven safe
Ingredients
- 2 chicken Hens, butterflied (spatchcock)
- 2 teaspoons dry brine, recipe follows
- 1 cup tasbika, recipe follows
- 2-3 sliced golden potatoes, 0.5" thick
Dry Brine
- 1 teaspoon fine Himalayan salt (pink salt)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest , from unsprayed (unwaxed) lemon
Tasbika (red tomato sauce)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, organic and cold pressed
- 1 tablespoon butter or ghee
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary or thyme
- 1 tablespoon red pepper paste or 1 chopped roasted red bell pepper, see notes
- 1 medium tomato or 1/4 cup passata
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 piece fresh turmeric
- 1 piece ginger, 0.5” X 0.5”
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ cup room temperature water
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- ¼ cup whipping cream
Instructions
Step 1: Dry brine the chicken hens.
- Rub the chicken thoroughly with the dry brine over and under the skin. Cover it with a plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 3 hours minimum and up to 8 hours. Before you assemble the dish (step 3), rinse the chicken under tap water and tap it dry with kitchen paper.
Step 2: Make the tasbika (Egyptian red tomato sauce).
- In a hot skillet, add the oil and butter. Once the butter melts, add the sprig of thyme or rosemary and let it impart its herbal notes in the hotel-butter mixture. Remove the herb before it burns and turns black. Add the chopped onion and let it sweat over low heat until it becomes a light golden color. Stir in the garlic, sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in the pepper paste, stir for 1 minute and then add the rest of the ingredients. Add water, lime juice and pomegranate molasses. Let the red sauce cook over low heat for 7-10 minutes, until it reduces and the flavors concentrate. Add the cream. Let the tasbika cool down slightly, and then blend it in a Nutri Bullet to end up with a smooth creamy sauce.
Step 3: Assemble ferakh bel batates.
- Wipe the bottom of roasting pan with some butter. Arrange the sliced potatoes on top. Pour half the quantity of the sauce over the potatoes. Arrange the chicken on top and pour the rest of the sauce on top of the chicken.
Step 4: Cook ferakh bel batates.
- Bring Ferakh Bel Batates to a vigorous boil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes and let it cook for another 10 minutes on medium-low and then transfer to a preheated oven at 400 F°, for 45-55 mins. This dish is fully cooked when the potatoes are fork tender and the juices run clear from the thickest part of the chicken when poked with a knife, with no sight of any chicken blood.
Nermine's Notes
- This iconic Egyptian dish is cooked in a traditional aluminum pan that is hard to find elsewhere but Egypt. The best alternative is this roasting pan.
- Butterfly the chicken so they evenly cook in shorter time.
- Chicken can be safely reheated once after its initial cooking. Repeated reheating increases the risk of bacterial growth, especially for proteins like chicken, which can develop harmful bacteria if not properly stored and reheated. To reheat chicken, place it in a microwave resistant dish and heat it in the microwave for 2 minutes.
- You can make the tasbika (reduced tomato sauce) 1-2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge, or freeze it for up to 1 month.