Maftoul
Palestinian Couscous with Chicken and Chickpeas
Maftoul takes its name from the Arabic word for rolling, describing the patient way the pearls are made by hand, cracked wheat and bulgur moistened with water and rolled again and again in whole wheat flour until they grow into little beads, then steamed and dried for the pantry. Those coarse, nutty pearls set maftoul apart from the fine semolina couscous of North Africa, giving the dish a chewier bite and a deeper flavor of the grain. In the classic Palestinian preparation the maftoul is steamed over a pot of chicken simmering into broth, and the whole thing is finished with plenty of soft onions, chickpeas, and the warm, faintly aniseed note of caraway alongside cumin and cinnamon. It is a generous, celebratory dish, piled onto one big platter and shared.
Method
Pat the chicken pieces dry. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy pot or the base of a couscoussier over medium-high heat, then sear the chicken in batches until golden on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Return all the pieces to the pot.
Add the quartered onion, cardamom pods, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and 1.5 teaspoons salt. Pour in the water so the chicken is just covered, bring to a boil, and skim off any foam that rises. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover partly, and cook until the chicken is tender and pulling from the bone, 45 to 50 minutes.
Lift the chicken out onto a plate and set it aside. Strain the broth if you like a clear liquid, then return it to the pot and keep it at a low simmer. Taste and adjust the salt, since this broth flavors everything.
While the chicken simmers, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat and cook the onion wedges until soft and lightly golden at the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the caraway, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, and black pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chickpeas and two ladles of the hot broth, then simmer gently until the onions are meltingly soft, about 10 minutes.
Toss the maftoul in a bowl with 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt so the pearls are coated. Set the couscoussier top, or a metal colander lined with cheesecloth, over the simmering broth, making sure the base does not touch the liquid. Add the maftoul, cover, and steam until the pearls are tender and swollen, 20 to 25 minutes, fluffing them once halfway through with a fork and adding a splash of broth if they look dry.
Warm the chicken back through in the broth for a few minutes, or slide it skin side up under a hot broiler for 3 to 4 minutes if you want the skin crisp.
Mound the steamed maftoul on a large platter and spoon the spiced onions and chickpeas over and around it. Arrange the chicken on top, ladle over enough hot broth to moisten everything, and scatter with parsley. Serve the remaining broth in a bowl alongside for spooning over each plate.
Cook’s notes
- If you do not have a couscoussier, set a fine metal colander over the pot and seal the gap with a strip of foil or a damp folded towel so the steam is forced up through the maftoul.
- Packaged maftoul can also be simmered directly instead of steamed: use about 1.5 cups broth per cup of maftoul, cover, and cook 15 to 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
- Caraway is the signature note of this dish, so add it freshly ground and do not leave it out.
- Make the broth a day ahead and chill it so the fat lifts off easily, then reheat it to steam the maftoul on the day you serve.
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