Za'atar Chicken

[dls1]

John,

The supply of za'atar that you have might be considered the "real stuff" by some, and not so by others. As has been mentioned, za'atar can vary greatly by country, region, locale, etc. often based upon what herbs are naturally abundant and traditionally favored, though sumac, sesame seeds, and thyme seem to be the constants. In a sense, it's like a person from South Carolina and another from Kansas each calling their BBQ sauce the "real stuff", though they're vastly different.

Greek oregano, wild grown, is often called "true" or "pure" oregano. Compared to other varieties, it has a strong, robust aroma and a pungent intense flavor with lemon highlights. Nothing that you'll find on a typical grocery store shelf in the U.S. can compare with it. As I understand it, most of what's commonly available in the U.S. isn't actually oregano at all, but a close relative, wild marjoram.

Not surprisingly, real wild Greek oregano is not inexpensive, and it's availability is limited. I happen to live in Chicago which has had a very large Greek population for several decades and I can source the product fairly easily. As an alternative, for online shopping, the purveyor I recommend is Dafni Greek Gourmet,
https://dafni-greek-gourmet.myshopi...ucts/dafni-wild-greek-oregano-jar-ground-buds

 

[johnmeyer]

Ah ha, "lemon highlights." That's exactly what my version is missing. I grew up in Chicago, but now live on the west coast. I'll have to start hunting around for the real thing. Thank you!!

 

[disco]

Great looking chicken, Disco, and well deserving of a like. Za'atar, with so many possible uses, is a great blend to always have on hand.

I make many of my own Middle Eastern/North African spice and herb blends and za'atar is a staple at our house. Za’atar is a pretty specific blend with dried sumac being the blend's key, and usually most dominant, player. True and authentic za'atar contains only 3 ingredients, sumac, roasted sesame seeds, and hyssop, an herb that is similar to thyme with a hint of mint. Hyssop is fairly rare even in much of the Middle East so, over time, the common formulation includes, in addition to the sesame seeds and sumac, thyme, marjoram, oregano, and salt. The use of salt in za'atar is somewhat unique in that it's rarely used in Middle Eastern/North African spice blends. Also, as with other blends, there are regional variations of za'atar, but they don't stray very far from the base formulation. Israeli za’atar typically includes sesame seeds, oregano, thyme and salt while Syrian za’atar which often brings cumin and coriander into the mix

While I’m prone to occasionally playing around with the ingredients a little, my base za’atar recipe is as follows,

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) dried sumac
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely minced
2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons fresh marjoram, finely minced
2 tablespoons dried Greek oregano
1-2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, to taste

Coarsely grind the sesame seeds with a mortar and pestle or in a food processor. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Thank you so much for that background and for the recipe. Even though I have a several year supply of the "real" stuff from the now-closed restaurant, I still want to duplicate what they had. I have not been roasting my sesame seeds, so that's one thing I need to try. Maybe that will make them smaller, like the ones in the restaurant's blend.

I do have one question: is "Greek oregano" different from regular oregano? I know that Mexican oregano is a totally different thing.

John,

The supply of za'atar that you have might be considered the "real stuff" by some, and not so by others. As has been mentioned, za'atar can vary greatly by country, region, locale, etc. often based upon what herbs are naturally abundant and traditionally favored, though sumac, sesame seeds, and thyme seem to be the constants. In a sense, it's like a person from South Carolina and another from Kansas each calling their BBQ sauce the "real stuff", though they're vastly different.

Greek oregano, wild grown, is often called "true" or "pure" oregano. Compared to other varieties, it has a strong, robust aroma and a pungent intense flavor with lemon highlights. Nothing that you'll find on a typical grocery store shelf in the U.S. can compare with it. As I understand it, most of what's commonly available in the U.S. isn't actually oregano at all, but a close relative, wild marjoram.

Not surprisingly, real wild Greek oregano is not inexpensive, and it's availability is limited. I happen to live in Chicago which has had a very large Greek population for several decades and I can source the product fairly easily. As an alternative, for online shopping, the purveyor I recommend is Dafni Greek Gourmet,
https://dafni-greek-gourmet.myshopi...ucts/dafni-wild-greek-oregano-jar-ground-buds

Ah ha, "lemon highlights." That's exactly what my version is missing. I grew up in Chicago, but now live on the west coast. I'll have to start hunting around for the real thing. Thank you!!

I really didn't know what I was getting into. I have forwarded some of this to my middle eastern friends and they are arguing among themselves about "real" Za'atar. I had a similar problem with Piri Piri. I have been flat out told that some of the recipes sent to me aren't Piri Piri by some despite being commonly served in African or Portuguese settings.

May advise, do what I did. Try several versions and adjust them to your tastes.

I have a source for Greek Oregano in Canada but that likely won't be much help.

 

[zippy12]

made it thighs only

with egg plant parm thanks man!

 

[ab canuck]

Great sonding and looking dish Disco, I missed this one in the last few weeks of chaos we have going on at work. Like for sure. Congrats on the carousel ride.

 

[disco]

Great sonding and looking dish Disco, I missed this one in the last few weeks of chaos we have going on at work. Like for sure. Congrats on the carousel ride.

Thanks! You need to retire!

made it thighs only

with egg plant parm thanks man!

Sorry I missed this till now! It looks great!