Maftoul, oversized Palestinian couscous, is absolutely wonderful. Made from bulgur and whole wheat, and traditionally hand rolled by women, it’s simple to cook and much more interesting to eat than standard couscous. (My son refers to couscous, disparagingly, as fluff. He’s kind of right.)
The maftoul, dates and za’atar (an aromatic spice mix) were sent to me by Zaytoun, a social enterprise I’ve reported on before. It was founded 16 years ago to forge a UK market for artisanal Palestinian produce. Farmers in Palestine’s territories, the West Bank and Gaza, have long faced huge obstacles earning a decent living, partly because it’s so difficult for them to reach crucial export markets under Israeli occupation. Restrictions on movement make travel enormously difficult and land has been seized and encroached on by settlements. Now, Covid has made things so much worse, especially for small farmers. A second wave of the virus has hit the West Bank, more terrible than the first. And global shortages of medical supplies are exacerbated by the ongoing political turmoil.
One way to support the farmers is to buy their delicious products - all the ingredients for this dish are available on the Zaytoun website. (Disclaimer: the maftoul, dates and za’atar were gifted to me but this post is not a paid-for advertisement. I believe in Zaytoun’s mission and their products are spectacular).
Serves 2 - 4 (depending on your appetite and what else you serve)
olive oil
2 tablespoons za’atar
4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
Enough chopped veg to fill a roasting tray: peppers, courgettes, aubergines, carrots, red onion
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
200g maftoul, rinsed
2 tablespoons harissa paste (or tomato paste will do)
350ml chicken or vegetable stock
4 or 5 medjool dates
1 heaped tablespoon chopped preserved lemon
Fresh chopped herbs like parsley or coriander
Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the chicken thighs in a roasting tray, drizzle with oil and sprinkle over the za’atar and some salt. Rub into the chicken all over and roast for 30 minutes or so, skin-side up on the top oven shelf, until completely cooked through.
Meanwhile, roast the vegetables. Place any root vegetables like carrots in a second roasting tray, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 10 minutes on the lower shelf before adding the remaining vegetables (adding more oil and salt as necessary). Roast until all the vegetables are tender. If the chicken is cooked first, just set it aside to rest covered loosely in foil.
While the oven is doing its thing, prepare the maftoul. In a medium pan, add a good glug of oil followed by the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook gently until the onion is completely soft. Add the garlic and harissa paste, stir into the onion and cook for a few minutes more until lovely and fragrant.
Add the maftoul and stir to coat, then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for ten minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to steam for a further 10 minutes, covered.
Tip the maftoul into a large serving bowl or platter and fold in the dates and preserved lemon, and then most of the vegetables. Top with the remaining vegetables, the chicken thighs and herbs, proudly bear to the table to serve.