Leah Koenig’s Chicken Hamin (Stew) With Bucatini
Chicken hamin Image by Phaidon
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 8 hours 15 minutes
Serves: 6
Like other Shabbat stews, this dish, hamin macaroni, cooks overnight, and is traditionally served at Saturday lunch. Any thick, long pasta will work in this dish, but bucatini holds up perfectly to the low and slow cooking.
• 1 pound (455 g) bucatini pasta
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, halved through the root and thinly sliced
• 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 medium Yukon Gold or red potatoes (about 1 lb/455 g), peeled and sliced into ½-inch (1.25 cm) rounds
• 3 lb (1.35 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks and thighs, patted dry
• 6 eggs, in the shell (optional)
• ½ cup (120 ml/4 fl oz) chicken stock
1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until just short of tender, 7–8 minutes. (Do not overcook.) Drain well, transfer to a large bowl, and set aside.
2) Preheat the oven to 225°F (110°C/Gas Mark ¼).
3) In a large Dutch oven (casserole), heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden brown, 7–10 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, cinnamon, and cardamom, then remove from the heat. Transfer the onion mixture to the bowl of cooked pasta, and stir to coat the pasta.
4) Arrange the potato slices in a single layer in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Sprinkle with a little salt and top with about three-quarters of the onion-coated pasta. Generously season the chicken pieces on both sides with salt and pepper and arrange in the Dutch oven. Top with the remaining pasta, then nestle the eggs (if using) on top.
5) Pour in the stock, cover, and place in the oven. Bake until the chicken is falling off the bone and the pasta has browned on top, 6–8 hours. Serve the eggs on the side.
Adapted from “The Jewish Cookbook” by Leah Koenig, with permission from Phaidon.
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