This recipe is influenced by traditional the Persian cuisine’s use of sour pomegranate syrup in cooking, adding a sweet Iraqi touch with date syrup.
the use of these two special ingredients make it perfect for Rosh Hashanah seder, as both date and pomegranate are part of the symbolic blessing routine.
Chicken, potato and eggplant in pomegranate and date syrup
Course: MainCuisine: Israeli, Persian, Iraqi, Middle EasternDifficulty: Medium6
servings20
minutes1
hour30
minutesThis recipe is influenced by traditional the Persian cuisine’s use of sour pomegranate syrup in cooking, adding a sweet Iraqi touch with date syrup. The chicken is roasted in the rich marinade and gets a wonderful crispy caramelized glaze.
Date syrup (known as silan or date honey in Israel) is available at kosher and Middle Eastern markets.
Pomegranate syrup is available at Middle Eastern markets, and some specialty and natural foods supermarkets (such as Whole Foods). When choosing the syrup, try to look for the lightest, thinnest ones.
INGREDIENTS
½ cup date syrup (silan)
¼ cup pomegranate syrup
⅓ cup olive oil
Kosher salt
1 eggplant, peeled in stripes and cut into 2 inch cubes
2 lb. baby potatoes, or golden potatoes cut into 2 inch cubes
6 chicken thighs
6 chicken drumsticks
DIRECTIONS
- Put eggplant cubes in a large bowl, cover with water and mix in 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Set aside for 30 minutes and up to two hours.
- Oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix date syrup, pomegranate syrup, olive oil and 2 teaspoons kosher salt in a bowl.
- Wash and pat dry chicken. Drain and pat dry eggplant. In a large bowl, mix chicken and eggplant with the date syrup mixture. Spray a large oven-proof pan (I used a 12” round pan) with oil, arrange potatoes at the bottom, sprinkle with a little salt, then arrange chicken and eggplant on top of potatoes, push eggplant cubes aside so they don’t cover the chicken pieces.
- Roast for 75 to 85 minutes, basting chicken and eggplant 4 times during the roasting, until the chicken is cooked through and eggplant is soft. It is crucial to baste both chicken and eggplant to keep them moist, so don’t skip that step. Let chicken sit for 5-10 minutes and serve.
Thanks.
Can I marinate this, and if so, for how long do you suggest? I plan to make this tomorrow. Thank you!
Thanks for you question, Cindy. It’s a good one!
You can definitely marinate the chicken, I would say that up to 4 hours would make sense. It’s not necessary, but it can definitely enhance the flavors. I will actually add that to the recipe, so thanks! And hope you enjoy the recipe.
Should chicken be covered when cooking?
No, you don’t. But don’t forget to baste it! Shana tova!