Name: Pilpelchuma chicken thighs with soured cream and pickles
Ingredients: 6 chicken thighs, boneless, skin on; 100g Ottolenghi pilpelchuma paste, plus extra for serving; 2 tsp olive oil; 2 white onions, thinly sliced (320g); 2 garlic cloves, crushed; fine sea salt; 6 pita breads; 300g soured cream; 250g dill pickles, sliced; 25g parsley leaves; 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Pilpelchuma chicken thighs with sour cream and pickles

Main Midweek

Serves 4-6

Prep 5 min

Cook 30 mins

This spicy Libyan condiment really shines as a marinade on fatty meats. Chicken thighs with crispy skin, and oily onions are stuffed into a pitta, the perfect home. Sour cream calms the heat, sharp dill pickles cut through the fat, and heaps of parsley provide the freshness. It’s an easy meal with big flavours, and it all comes down to the strength of the pilpelchuma paste.

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN
6	chicken thighs, boneless, skin on
100g	Ottolenghi pilpelchuma paste, plus extra for serving
2 tsp	olive oil
2	white onions, thinly sliced (320g)
2	garlic cloves, crushed
	fine sea salt
TO SERVE
6	pita breads
300g	soured cream
250g	dill pickles, sliced
25g	parsley leaves
1	lemon, cut into wedges

Method

Place the chicken into a bowl along with the pilpelchuma, olive oil, and 2 teaspoons salt, and mix well. Place the chicken skin side down into a large nonstick frying pan, and then set over medium high heat. Fry for about 15 minutes, skin side down. Flip the chicken and fry for 2 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside to rest.
With the pan still on the heat, add the onion and garlic and fry for about 5 minutes until softened and nicely coloured. Remove from the heat. Slice the chicken into strips and nestle them into the onion pan, then set aside.
To serve, place the sour cream in a small bowl and swirl through a few teaspoons of the pipelchuma paste. Warm the pita breads and open them up. Stuff with the sour cream, chicken, onions, dill pickles, and a generous bunch of parsley leaves. Squeeze over lemon juice and enjoy.