Best 20 Atar Recipes

HOMEMADE ZA'ATAR

Steps:

• Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until just golden, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Combine sesame seeds, thyme leaves, sumac, and salt in a bowl and stir until well combined.

GRILLED ZA'ATAR CHICKEN WITH GARLIC YOGURT AND CILANTRO

Steps:

• In a large bowl or container, stir together 5 of the grated garlic cloves, half the lemon zest, 1/3 cup yogurt, the cilantro, oil, za'atar, oregano or marjoram, salt and black pepper. Add chicken and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• When ready to cook, light the grill to medium or heat your broiler with the rack 3 inches from the heat source. Remove chicken from bowl, shaking off any excess marinade, and grill or broil on one side until charred in spots, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and grill or broil for another 5 to 8 minutes, until just cooked through.
• While the chicken is cooking, place remaining 2/3 cup yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in the reserve grated garlic clove and lemon zest, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut one zested lemon in half and set aside for serving (save the other zested lemon for another use).
• To serve, place chicken on a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil and a large squeeze of the zested lemon. Top with cilantro and oregano or marjoram sprigs and serve with yogurt sauce.

ZA'ATAR

Steps:

• Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl.
• Available at Middle Eastern markets and by mail order from Kalustyan's (212-685-3451).

ZA'ATAR CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Add chicken; toss to coat., Arrange olives, apricots and plums on the bottom of a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker. Add 1/4 cup water; top with chicken. Cook, covered, on low until chicken is tender, 5-6 hours. If desired, serve with rice.

ZA'ATAR CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place chicken in a bowl and coat with olive oil. Season liberally with sea salt and black pepper on all sides.
• Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs, skin-side down, to the hot skillet. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon za'atar immediately over each chicken thigh. Cook chicken, without turning, until skin is crispy and browned, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Turn chicken so skin side faces up and remove skillet from heat. Sprinkle remaining za'atar quickly and evenly over each chicken thigh. Spoon some of the rendered chicken fat from the pan over the top of the za'atar.
• Place the skillet in the preheated oven and roast until juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink near the bone, about 15 minutes.

LEBANESE ZAATAR (ZA'ATAR) BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix water, yeast, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, olive oil, and corn oil; mix using your hands, adding more whole wheat flour if needed, until dough holds together. Mix za'atar into dough until evenly incorporated (see notes).
• Shape dough, about 1/4 cup per piece, into rounds on a floured work surface. Arrange rounds on baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 25 minutes.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND ZA'ATAR

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, stir together yogurt, zest and juice of 1 lemon, garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season the chicken inside and out with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the bowl and coat with the yogurt mixture inside and out. Cover and refrigerate until cooking, up to 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Make the za'atar: In a small bowl, mix sesame seeds, sumac (if using), thyme, coriander, oregano, cumin and 1 tablespoon salt. Remove chicken from marinade and gently scrape off excess yogurt while leaving a nice coating. Transfer chicken to a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Coat chicken all over with the za'atar blend. Scrape up any spices that fall off and pack them on. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil and pat gently.
• Put 1 lemon half in the cavity of the bird. Tie legs together using butcher's twine, if desired, and place chicken in a small roasting pan. Arrange remaining 3 lemon halves and shallots cut-sides down in the pan surrounding the chicken. Add 1/4 cup water to the pan and roast on the middle rack for 30 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees, gently baste the chicken and add another 1/4 cup water. Roast for an additional 60 to 75 minutes, rotating the pan periodically. Turn the lemon and shallots occasionally, basting once or twice and add 1/4 cup water whenever the pan juices dry out. Cook until until the legs wiggle easily and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
• Let chicken rest 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Pour the pan juices (add a few tablespoons of water first, if they are very reduced) into a small gravy boat, degreasing or skimming some fat, if desired. Serve the chicken with the juices and the roasted shallots.

ZA'ATAR

Steps:

• Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds to the skillet and toast, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and set aside to cool.
• Using a spice grinder, clean coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle, ground the za'atar leaves with the sumac and salt. Add to the bowl with toasted sesame and mix well. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

NIGELLA'S ZA'ATAR CHICKEN

Steps:

• In large mixing bowl or resealable plastic bag, combine chicken, oil and za'atar. Rub spices and oil all over chicken pieces. Cover (or close) and refrigerate 2 hours to overnight.
• Transfer chicken to baking sheet, skin side up. Roast in preheated 425°F oven 45 minutes.
• Sprinkle with salt.

TOMATO AND CUCUMBER SALAD WITH PITA BREAD AND ZA'ATAR

Steps:

• Stir together tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze lemon juice over salad and stir. Drizzle oil over salad and stir.

ZA'ATAR ROASTED POTATOES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine potatoes and olive oil in a large bowl and mix well. Sprinkle potatoes with za'atar, salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Transfer potatoes to the prepared baking sheet.
• Set baking sheet on the lowest rack of a cold oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roast until potatoes are golden brown and tender, 30 to 35 minutes, stirring halfway through.

LAMB FLATBREAD WITH ZA'ATAR

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Stir in 1 cup flour to form a thin batter. Leave to rest until mixture is bubbly, about 20 minutes.
• Add remaining flour, olive oil and salt. Mix until dough comes together, then knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. The dough should be soft and a bit sticky; dust lightly with flour as necessary. Return dough to bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. (Alternatively, put dough in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.)
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add onions, season generously with salt and stir to coat. Cook, stirring, until softened and nicely browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
• Add lamb to skillet and mash into onions with a large spoon until crumbled. Sprinkle with salt, then stir in pepper, clove, allspice, cayenne, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, sumac and pomegranate molasses. Turn heat to low and stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes, until meat is just cooked through. Transfer mixture to a rimmed baking sheet and spread out to cool. (You will have a bit more lamb filling than you need - it's good on buttered toast for a cook's treat.)
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Punch down dough and divide into 8 2 1/2-ounce pieces. Knead each piece into a ball. Cover with a damp towel and let dough rest 20 to 30 minutes, then roll thinly or stretch each piece into a 6-inch round. Make the dough as thin as possible.
• Arrange 4 rolled-out dough rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each with a generous amount of za'atar-oil mixture over dough (all the way to the edges or you'll get a puffed up "lip"). Make a layer of thinly sliced or crumbled feta, then sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cooled lamb mixture over the entire surface. Sprinkle on a few pine nuts, if using. Press topping down with the palm of your hand.
• Bake 4 flatbreads at a time, on the upper rack of the oven, for 5 to 8 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. The dough should still be soft and pliable, not crisp. Serve hot or at room temperature, garnished with parsley, mint and cilantro leaves, whole or roughly chopped.

ZA'ATAR CHICKEN WITH GARLICKY YOGURT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Pat chicken legs dry with paper towels. Arrange chicken, onions, halved garlic heads, and lemon in a 13x9" baking dish; season liberally with salt (remember to season both sides of chicken). Pour in oil and toss everything to coat. Turn garlic cut side down and nestle it in so it is in contact with the baking dish. Roast, rotating pan halfway through, until meat is almost falling off the bone, 50-60 minutes.
• Meanwhile, finely grate 1 garlic clove into a small bowl. Add yogurt, a big pinch of salt, and 1 Tbsp. water and mix well. Set aside yogurt sauce.
• Remove baking dish from oven and transfer onions, garlic, and lemon to a plate. Increase oven temperature to 425°F and continue to roast chicken until skin is golden brown, 10-15 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Set aside pan with juices.
• Finely grate remaining garlic clove into another small bowl. Add za'atar, coriander, lemon zest, and lime zest. Pour reserved juices in pan into za'atar mixture until you've reached an oily consistency (about 1/3 cup). Mix in a pinch of salt.
• Spread reserved yogurt sauce over a platter and arrange chicken legs on top. Scatter onions, garlic, and lemon around; drizzle with za'atar oil.

GREEK FETA YOGURT DIP WITH ZA'ATAR

Steps:

• Place garlic, feta cheese and olive oil in food processor and process until cheese is roughly crumbled. Remove half of cheese to a bowl. Add yogurt, lemon juice, black pepper and za'atar seasoning to food processor bowl. Process until just about smooth. Add to bowl of feta crumbles and mix well. Spoon into serving bowl and sprinkle with more za'atar seasoning.

ZA'ATAR CHICKEN AND RICE PILAF RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Spatchcock the chicken: Place the chicken, breast-side down, on a cutting board. Using a pair of kitchen shears or a very sharp knife, find the backbone of the chicken and cut up both sides to remove. Remove any giblets remaining inside the chicken. Turn the chicken over and press down on the breastbone until the chicken lies flat.
• Make the brine: In a small, dry pan, toast the peppercorns, fennel seeds, and coriander seeds until fragrant and starting to change color, 1-2 minutes.
• Transfer the toasted spices to a large pot with 1 quart (1 liter) of water, the oregano, thyme, bay leaves, salt, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt, then let boil for 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat. Transfer the brine to a large container. Cool the brine by adding the remaining water.
• Place the chicken in the brine, cover the container, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Place a wire rack or roasting rack on top of a baking sheet.
• Make the chicken seasoning: In a food processor, combine the lemon peel, garlic, and canola oil. Process into a thick paste.
• Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Use your fingers to carefully separate the skin from the breasts and thighs. Rub the lemon garlic paste over the bird, making sure to get some under the skin. Rub the softened butter underneath and over the skin. Season on both sides with the salt and za'atar. Place the chicken on the rack set over the baking sheet, breast-side up.
• Roast the chicken for 40-50 minutes, until the breast meat reaches 145°F (63°C).
• Roast until the thigh meat, near the bones, reaches 160°F (71°C). Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the rice pilaf: Place the rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under running water until the water runs clear. Transfer the rice to a medium bowl and cover with water by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Soak for 10 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock to a small pot and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low so the stock stays warm.
• In a large pot or pan over medium heat, combine the butter, garlic, and fideo. Cook, stirring constantly, until most of the noodles are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Drain the rice once the noodles are toasted, then add to the pan and sauté until the rice is dry and coated with the butter, 2-3 minutes.
• Add the hot chicken stock, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the noodles curl up, about 15 minutes. Fluff the pilaf with a fork, then cover again and let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.
• Make the za'atar oil: In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, za'atar, and salt.
• Carve the chicken, then arrange over the rice pilaf and spoon the za'atar oil over. Garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
• Enjoy!

SAUTÉED ZUCCHINI WITH ZA’ATAR AND CRISPY CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• In a colander, rinse the chickpeas. Pat dry in a clean dishtowel. Spread the cornstarch in a pie pan or on a dinner plate with raised edges. Add the chickpeas and roll them around to coat. Transfer to a mesh strainer and shake to remove excess starch. In a small (8-inch) skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering hot. Add the chickpeas, cover with a splatter screen, and cook, gently shaking the pan from time to time, until golden-brown, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chickpeas to a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle the chickpeas with 1 tsp. of the za'atar and a generous pinch of salt. Roll the chickpeas around to evenly coat with the spice mixture. Set aside. Heat the remaining 2 Tbs. oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until shimmering hot. Add the squash, arranging it to fit in a single, snug layer. Season generously with salt and cook undisturbed until deep golden-brown, about 2 minutes. Push a spatula through the pan to turn the squash over, following with tongs or a fork to flip any unturned pieces. Sprinkle the diced onion and remaining 1 Tbs. za'atar over the zucchini and stir with a spatula to blend. Transfer the zucchini to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the fried chickpeas and serve.

ZA'ATAR SPICE BLEND

Steps:

• If using fresh za'atar or oregano, arrange it on a towel-lined plate and microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring between intervals, until dry and crumbly, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.
• Crumble the leaves by hand or in a spice grinder until almost fine (the way dried herbs look), then combine in a medium bowl with the marjoram, sesame seeds, thyme, sumac, and salt. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

FRISéE AND CARROT RIBBON SALAD WITH ZA'ATAR-LEMON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Combine shallot, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp. kosher salt in a medium bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toast pistachios, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, and 1 tsp. za'atar in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Season with 1/4 tsp. kosher salt. Transfer to a small bowl; let cool and set aside.
• Add honey and 1 tsp. za'atar to lemon mixture and whisk to combine, then whisk in 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a slow, steady stream.
• Place frisée, carrots, parsley, 3/4 cup grapes, and half of the pistachios in a large bowl and drizzle with vinaigrette. Gently toss until frisée is evenly dressed; season with sea salt and pepper. Top with remaining pistachios and 3/4 cup grapes.

MANAKEESH BIL ZA'ATAR (FLAT BREAD WITH ZA'ATAR)

Steps:

• To make the dough, sift the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl.
• Make a well in the centre and add in the water and knead till the dough has come together leaving the sides of the bowl clean.
• Transfer onto a clean work surface and knead for about 10 minutes till the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Lightly grease the bowl and transfer the dough into the bowl and cover with cling film and leave it in a warm place till it has doubled in bulk, for about 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7/425F/220°C.
• Put 2 large oiled baking sheets in the oven to heat.
• Knock the air out of the dough and knead again for about 2 minutes.
• Divide into 8 portions and roll each ball between your palms until smooth and round.
• Flour the work surface and flatten each round with a rolling pin until it is circular, even, and about 1/4 inch thick.
• Cover and leave in a warm place to rise for 20 more minutes.
• Brush the tops of the discs with a little olive oil.
• In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the zaatar spice mix and add in the remaining oil and give it a good mix.
• Spread the oil-zaatar mixture over the surface of each bread.
• Slide the bread onto the hot baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes or until the bread is golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and serve hot.

BROILED RED SNAPPER WITH ZA'ATAR SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Toast pine nuts in a dry small skillet over medium-low heat, tossing often, until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
• Heat broiler. Season flesh side of snapper fillets with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with coriander. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. oil onto a small rimmed baking sheet and place fish, flesh side down, on top. Drizzle skin side with 2 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil until skin is crisp and browned and flesh is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Remove fish from broiler and let rest 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix together cilantro, parsley, garlic, za'atar, red pepper flakes, and remaining ½ cup oil in a small bowl; season salsa verde with salt and pepper.
• Transfer fish to a platter, placing skin side up. Stir lemon juice, banana peppers, and pine nuts into salsa verde and spoon over fish.