Sumac is Superb

By Luci

Ground and whole sumac berries

Do you love the way tart ingredients such as lemon or vinegar brighten and enhance a bland dish? Think of sumac as lemon on steroids. I know of no ingredient that enhances, freshens and brightens dishes more with its tart, citrusy, earthy complexities that include a subtle hint of sweetness.

Sumac is a reddish brown spice that comes to us from the Middle East. It’s the ground up berry from the sumac bush, no relation at all to poison sumac. It is used extensively in the dishes of the Middle East and North Africa, appearing in spice mixtures such as za’atar, in marinades, salads and sometimes, simply as a garnish. 

Indeed, I first encountered sumac as a garnish for rice in a marvelous meal served at the Algonquin Hotel. It was love at first bite. I wrote about that experience in my previous blog on May 10 about dinners that turned me into a foodie. Writing that blog inspired me to do this blog on dishes with sumac, one with chicken marinated with sumac, one with rice and a third with a salad dressing. While these three recipes make up the major parts of a meal, I would not use them together….too much of a good thing. But if you are not familiar with sumac, I urge you to buy and try this superb spice. As with most spices, their flavor is best when ground  from the whole seed, berry or root.

Chicken with Sumac Marinade*

Very, very full of flavor. The chicken is tender and moist. The blend of spices work together in harmony to produce taste sensations that seem to reverberate in the mouth. The result is filling and satisfying, as if you had eaten something with much more fat and calories. 

Marinade

Bottom layer of dish before baking

Chicken before baking

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon ground sumac

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground red Syrian or black pepper

4 chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds) with skin and bone

1 lemon, sliced thin

10 sprigs fresh thyme

Preparation

1. Combine olive oil, sumac, coriander, allspice, cumin, thyme, salt, and pepper. 

2. Rub the mixture all over the chicken thighs. Place in a nonreactive dish, cover tightly and marinate in the fridge at least 2 and up to 24 hours.

3. Preheat over to 425F. 

4. Cover the bottom of a baking dish with the lemon slices. Scatter the thyme sprigs over the lemon and place chicken thighs, skin side up, on top. Bake in oven for approximately 40 minutes, until the chicken is nicely browned and a thermometer reads 170F. Halfway through, spoon juices on top of the chicken and again before serving.

* Adapted from https://www.feastingathome.com/sumac-chicken-with-meyer-lemons/#tasty-recipes-16927-jump-target

Rice Garnished with Sumac

This is not the dish that made me a fan of sumac. That rice included a raw egg yolk garnish and used the cooking technique that browns and caramelizes the bottom layer of rice. This rice is much simpler to prepare but the sumac still delivers a nice kick of flavor. The attractive appearance is due to its golden color imparted by turmeric and the red-brown sumac garnish. I have made the rice several times with saffron but tried it with turmeric to see if this much less expensive spice that often serves as a substitute for saffron would do the job. Initially, I followed several recipes that use twice as much turmeric as below but found the flavor too strongly bitter and more peppery than sumac. Reducing the amount solved the problem. Still, if you don’t mind the expense, I recommend saffron rather than turmeric. The rice keeps well and is fine to serve a day after preparing it.

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion 

1/2 tablespoon ground turmeric

1 cup basmati rice

1 3/4 cup boiling water or chicken broth

1 tablespoon ground sumac

Preparation

1. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add and stir in the onion and turmeric until onion is soft and colored. Add rice and stir for several minutes until rice has softened and colored. 

2. Over high heat, add the boiling water, stir for a second, turn heat to low, cover tightly and cook for 17 minutes. Turn off heat and allow rice to rest for 10 minutes.

3. Scoop rice onto individual plates in a mound and top with sumac.

Salad with Sumac Dressing*

Especially in warm weather, we welcome salads with dressings that are light, bright and fresh. This one is perfect.

Makes 3/4 cup

Ingredients

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon ground sumac

1/2 tablespoon grated or minced garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad ingredients of your choice. I used mixed young lettuces, halved grape tomatoes, red onion and sliced baby cucumber.

Preparation

Combine all ingredients except those for the salad. Pour over the salad ingredients.

*Adapted from https://redwoodkitchen.com/sumac-dressing/#recipe