8 
DRIED HERBS
MİNI, OREGANO, AND ZA’ATAR
In my kitchen, there are only three dried herbs: oregano, mint, and za’atar. I don’t like to use most dried herbs because the flavors can be too strong or taste dusty and old. I prefer my herbs fresh.
I included these three dried herbs in this book because, like many spices, they are robust, earthy, and peppery, and they lend warm tones to food. Besides, their flavors evoke the Mediterranean region like nothing else, and they are extremely versatile.
Dried mint, oregano, and za’atar have similar effects on dishes and can be used interchangeably in most cases. These herbs taste stronger, richer, and deeper when dried, and you will notice that in fresh form, they taste strikingly different from their dried counterparts.
All three spices work well with other bold flavors, such as olives; salty feta cheese; vegetable or chicken soups; summer vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers; on flat breads; and with chicken, beef, lamb, or duck.
DRİED MİNT
The flavor of dried mint is warm, earthy, and tea-like and adds a different quality to a dish than the light, refreshing taste of fresh mint. Along with oregano, mint is one of the key dried herbs that makes some Turkish rice dishes, grilled lamb, and beef kebobs taste “Turkish.”
There are many different kinds of mint, but spearmint is the most useful for cooking purposes because it doesn’t dominate other flavors in a dish. Spearmint is usually the variety used in dried mint. Peppermint has a stronger flavor and tastes somewhat medicinal; it’s better used for sweets. The Egyptian mint, which is a spearmint, available at www.kalustyans.com, is excellent; it’s deeply herbal and smells like a cross between mint and oregano. Dried mint should look green and not dusty.
Mint is easy to grow—so easy, in fact, that it very quickly can take over your garden. To make your own dried mint, pull out the invasive stems, cut their roots, tie them up into bundles, and hang them upside down in a cool, dry place for a couple of weeks. You can also dry mint in a microwave by laying the leaves on paper towels and cooking them on high in intervals of 20 seconds; the mint is dried when the leaves are crisp to the touch.
Paula Wolfert, author of many Mediterranean cookbooks, heats olive oil gently and then adds sieved dried mint to it. When the mint hits the warm oil, it sizzles. She calls this “mint sizzle,” and it’s just wonderful drizzled on pastas or grilled meats.
One of my favorite recipes with dried mint is a yogurt soup that I make with toasted pasta or mini raviolis called manti. I sprinkle the soup generously with dried mint, and my husband Chris can’t get enough of it. See Favorite Yogurt Soup on page 242 for a variation of this delicious and soothing soup using crushed, toasted pasta.
DRİED OREGANO
I finally understood the defining flavor of dried oregano while visiting the small Greek island of Hydra, a short trip from Athens. A man came down from the hillside carrying huge bags of wild oregano that he had foraged and dried himself, and I bought some and brought it home. The aroma was incredible: floral, tea-like, savory, vegetal, and sweet—all at once—and I’ve never been able to find oregano that compares to it since.
Dried oregano is key in making marinades for grilled meats, tomato-based sauces, and stews. I love to sprinkle it on Greek salads and feta cheese.
Oregano and marjoram are sometimes confused, but oregano is more robust and has rounder leaves. Oregano is peppery and sharp; its flavor is twice as strong as marjoram.
In my opinion, the best dried oregano is Greek, and they call it rigani, which means “wild.” If you buy dried Greek oregano from a Greek market in bunches on the stems, strip the leaves off, and then follow instructions for sieving dried herbs on page 230.
ZA’ATAR
Some sources maintain that the very green herb called za’atar is a type of thyme (za’atar, pronounced zah-tar, means “thyme” in Arabic); though some sources say it’s Syrian hyssop (an herb very similar to oregano). Fresh za’atar in the Middle Eastern markets in Watertown, Massachusetts, looks more like summer savory, or a crossing of marjoram, oregano, and thyme. To further confuse matters, za’atar also refers to a blend of the green herb, sesame seeds, and other spices. You can also buy a jar of pickled za’atar that you can chop up and add to salads or soups (available at www.kalustyans.com).
Za’atar blends vary widely in color and spice flavors. For instance, the za’atar blends in Israel and Lebanon are similar to the Jordanian version, but they’re not as vividly green. In Syria, the za’atar blends contain more sumac, and sometimes chilies or cumin are added.
You can find za’atar at all Middle Eastern markets, and you can try the different variations and choose your favorite. In this chapter, za’atar means the traditional Jordanian mix of sumac, sesame seeds, salt, and the essential bright green herb itself.
SIEVING DRIED HERBS
I push my dried herbs through a medium-fine sieve to powder the leaves and remove any bits of stem before I use them. Dried herbs store well in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for a couple of months.
RECIPES WITH DRIED MINT, DRIED OREGANO, AND ZA’ATAR
TURKİSH BAHARAT SPİCE MİX FOR LAMB
GREEK SALAD WİTH WİNTER VEGETABLES, APPLE, AND BARREL-AGED FETA CHEESE
GROUND BEEF AND PİSTACHIO KEBOBS
FRANCİSCO’S MANAAEESH (FLATBREAD WİTH ZA’ATAR)
FAVORİTE YOGURT SOUP WİTH TOASTED PASTA AND DRİED MİNT
CRİSPY LEMON CHİCKEN WITH ZA’ATAR
Turkish Baharat Spice Mix for Lamb
In Arabic, baharat has two meanings: it refers to this particular spice mix, and it also literally means “flowers and seeds” or more loosely translates to “herbs and spices.” Many Arabic spice shops are simply called baharat.
Although it doesn’t taste like it, baharat is like Indian curry: it’s an exotic spice blend that is packed with diverse aromas—some peppery, some sweet, some pungent—but no one flavor dominates. And there are as many different blends of baharat as there are people who make it: the mixture varies from family to family. Baharat is not hot-spicy, but it conveys all the romantic fragrances and everything that spice is.
I love baharat on grilled mushrooms, in bulgur pilafs, in carrot salads mixed with pine nuts and currants, with cooked winter squash, in tomato sauces, in chickpea soup, and in lamb marinades. Here is Oleana’s version of a typical baharat. You can also purchase a good one at www.kalustyans.com. I like their house brand. (See Lamb Steak with Turkish Spices on page 166.)
MAKES ½ CUP 
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander seed
2 tablespoons dried, sieved mint (page 230)
2 tablespoons dried, sieved oregano (page 230)
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
4 bay leaves, ground in a spice or coffee grinder
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground mustard seeds
In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients. Store this spice mixture in an airtight container out of direct light, for up to 2 months.
Kebob Spice Mix
The dried mint makes this spice mix taste very Turkish; it’s excellent on any grilled meats, especially beef or lamb. At Oleana, we use it on sirloin, skirt, and rib-eye steaks as well as in ground lamb or beef kebobs, also called köfte (see the Ground Beef and Pistachio Kebobs on page 236). The combination of spices in this recipe will also work with any kind of dried bean; it’s particularly tasty when added to black bean soup, bean chili, or any other bean soup. Use this spice mix generously.
MAKES ½ CUP
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dried, sieved oregano
2 tablespoons dried, sieved mint (page 230)
1 tablespoon Aleppo chilies
1 tablespoon black pepper
In a small bowl, combine all the spices. Store this spice mixture in an airtight container out of direct light, for up to 2 months.
Greek Salad with Winter Vegetables, Apple, and Barrel-Aged Feta Cheese
In Greece, the dish that Americans call Greek salad is called “village salad,” and it’s made with cucumbers, onions, peppers, olives, tomatoes, and feta. Rarely is any lettuce served.
The key to a great Greek salad lies in the feta and the kalamata olives. It’s worth going out of your way to find barrel-aged feta; the barrel-aging process makes it firm but creamy with a nice strong flavor. French feta is creamier, and there are many choices (see page 349), so taste as many as you can and simply choose your favorite. And if you have access to a Greek market, beg them for barrel-aged feta.
Served with Chicken Egg-Lemon Soup (page 51) and some ouzo or raki to sip, this salad is so hearty that you can make a meal out of it. You can cook the cauliflower and Brussels sprouts up to a day ahead of time, but the squash is better cooked and eaten the same day.
SERVES 8 TO 10 AS A FİRST COURSE
1 small to medium buttercup squash (about 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt plus more to taste
Pepper to taste
Ice cubes
½ head cauliflower, cored and washed
Pinch of baking soda
8 Brussels sprouts, outer leaves trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1 bulb fennel, quartered, cored, tough outer layer removed and cut into a ¼- to ½-inch dice
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into a ¼- to ½-inch dice
16 kalamata olives, pitted
½ red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried, sieved oregano (see page 230)
1 pound barrel-aged or French feta cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cut the squash in half widthwise and use a small spoon to scoop out the seeds. Slice each half into quarters and then into eighths so that you have 8 wedges of squash. Toss the squash with the 2 tablespoons olive oil on a heavy baking sheet and season well with salt and pepper to taste. Roast the squash in the oven for about 25 minutes, until just tender. Set aside to cool.
3. Prepare a medium bowl of ice water.
4. Bring a 2-quart saucepan of water to a boil over high heat and season with 1 tablespoon of salt.
5. Using a small paring knife or your fingers, break the cauliflower into small florets. Add the cauliflower to the water and boil for 4 minutes, or until it is just tender.
6. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cauliflower from the water and drop it into the ice water.Let it chill for about 3 minutes, drain well, pat dry with paper towels, and set aside.
7. Prepare another medium bowl of ice water.
8. Add a pinch of baking soda to the pot of boiling water and drop the Brussels sprouts in. The baking soda helps keep the Brussels sprouts a nice bright green, but don’t add more than a pinch, or they will turn out mushy. Cook them for about 5 minutes, or until they are just tender.
9. Drain the Brussels sprouts and place them in the bowl of ice water to chill for about 5 minutes. Drain well, pat dry with paper towels, and set aside.
10. When the squash is cool enough to handle, remove the skin by placing the wedges skin-side down on a cutting board and running a paring knife between the skin and the squash, staying as close to the skin as possible. Cut the squash into ½-inch chunks and place them in large mixing bowl. You should have about 1½ cups of diced squash.
11. Cut the cores off the Brussels sprouts and break the leaves up with your fingers. Add the leaves and the cauliflower to the mixing bowl with the squash.
12. Add the fennel and the apple to the rest of the vegetables. Stir to combine them and sprinkle the top with the olives.
13. Prepare the vinaigrette in a small mixing bowl: whisk together the onion, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture sit for at least 5 minutes to lightly pickle the onion (it will turn bright pink) before dressing the salad.
14. Toss the vegetables with the vinaigrette and season the salad with salt and pepper.
15. To serve, cut the feta into 8 equal slices. Spoon the salad into 8 salad bowls and top each salad with a slice of feta.
Ground Beef and Pistachio Kebobs
I learned how to make this dish when I visited Gaziantep, Turkey—famous for both its pistachios and kebobs. Not your average meatball, these kebobs are fun to make and packed full of flavor. Try making them with either lamb or beef, or a combination of both. Typical of Arabic cooking is the binding of meat with itself rather than using egg or bread crumbs the way we do for meatballs. The meat is kneaded until the proteins change, creating a creamy consistency that holds together well on a skewer. Egg whites are added not for binding purposes but to give the kebobs some volume and a lighter texture when cooked.
In Turkey, they cook these kebobs over the grill and not directly on it (see the foil propping method in Grilling Tips on page 100). This way, the meat becomes crispy on the outside and light and airy on the inside without getting charred. If you don’t have metal skewers, you will want to soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before skewering and grilling.
You can remove the kebobs from the skewers and place them directly on the bread to rest; the bread will collect juices from the meat while your guests decide which condiments to sample. I like to serve the kebobs with thin slices of red onion tossed with sumac (Sumac Onions with Parsley Butter, page 98), Nookie’s Pickles (page 280), thick Greek-style yogurt, fresh mint sprigs, pickled hot peppers, chopped fresh tomato, and romaine leaves. Pita or Greek flatbread, traditionally used for gyros, tastes best with this dish.
SERVES 4
1 pound ground beef or lamb (85 percent lean)
2 teaspoons Kebob Spice Mix (page 233)
1 teaspoon Aleppo chilies
1 roasted red bell pepper, finely chopped or 2 teaspoons of Turkish red pepper paste (see Resources, page 358)
1 egg white
1 cup toasted and coarsely ground pistachios (see page 91)
Salt to taste
8 skewers
Four 10-inch pitas, cut in half
1 cup red onions with sumac (about 1 onion; page 71, optional)
1 cup Greek-style yogurt or whole-milk plain yogurt
1 cup roughly chopped tomato (about 1 large tomato)
1 cup roughly chopped romaine leaves (about 4 large leaves)
1 cup Nookie’s Pickles (page 280) optional
8 roughly chopped mint leaves
1. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill (see Grilling Tips, page 100).
2. Knead the ground meat with the kebob spice, chilies, and red pepper in a standing mixer with a paddle attachment (such as a KitchenAid) on medium speed for 5 minutes, until the meat becomes creamy and a little sticky. If you don’t have a standing mixer, use a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and carefully push the pulse button on and off until the meat becomes smooth. You can also do this by hand, but it will take much longer.
3. Add the egg white and pistachios and continue to knead the meat with the mixer until the mixture comes together again and resembles a wet dough. I like to pinch off some meat at this point and cook it to test the seasoning. Add salt to taste.
4. Shape the meat into eight 2-ounce patties or short sausage shapes and press each patty into a skewer. Squeeze and shape the köfte into long, thin meatballs around the skewers. Set aside.
5. Grill the köfte for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through.
6. Rest the köfte on pita halves. Pass them around the table with bowls of sliced red onions sprinkled with sumac, yogurt, tomatoes, romaine, pickles, and mint leaves.
Warm Olives with Za’atar
The taste of za’atar makes you want more of it, so use it generously. Sprinkle it heavily over cheese, flatbreads, thick yogurt, and grilled chicken. My favorite za’atar comes from Jordan—it has the brightest flavor and the purest green color—but there are other delicious varieties from Syria and Lebanon as well.
I like to load za’atar onto niçoise olives and then gently warm them up to nibble on as a snack or before a meal. Although they aren’t very meaty, these olives have a wonderfully fruity taste that will whet your appetite but won’t fill you up.
SERVES 8
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¾ pound niçoise olives, drained
2 heaping tablespoons za’atar
1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the olives and gently warm them through over low heat.
2. Stir in the za’atar, transfer the olives to a bowl (preferably an olive dish with a lip or edge), and serve them with crusty bread.
Francisco’s Manaaeesh (Flatbread with Za’atar)
Francisco Betancourt is a farmer and father of four from Colombia who is the tireless backbone of Oleana’s kitchen. After he works at his day job in an Italian restaurant, Francisco comes into Oleana to wash the vegetables and greens, form the köfte (ground lamb kebobs), peel beets, cook mussels, peel and seed tomatoes, make dolmas, shuck peas, peel fava beans, plate desserts, and make manaaeesh.
Manaaeesh is a Lebanese name for a flatbread baked with generous amounts of olive oil, salt, and za’atar. It’s not unlike a very thin foccacia. Francisco helped me perfect this recipe.
Manaaeesh is best made and served the same day. You can, however, make the dough a day before and let it rise—lightly oiled and covered with plastic—overnight in the refrigerator. The dough needs at least 4 hours to rise before baking, so it’s not something that can be whipped up quickly.
Manaaeesh is a great bread to serve with meals and it’s a centerpiece for many mezze-style dishes. It’s wonderful alongside Whipped Feta (page 149), Armenian Bean and Walnut Pâté (page 334), Spicy Carrot Purée (page 6), or Hot Buttered Hummus (page 200).
MAKES ONE 10 × 12-İNCH FLATBREAD
1 package (¼ ounce) active dry yeast
¾ cup warm water (110°F to 120°F)
¼ cup olive oil
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons za’atar
1. In the work bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the yeast into the warm water and let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes, or until a gentle foam blooms across the surface. The water must be under 120°F or it will kill the yeast.
2. Whisk in the ¼ cup olive oil and add the flour and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
3. Using the mixer’s dough hook or paddle, stir on low speed until the flour is combined and it forms dough. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 7 to 8 minutes, until the dough is still sticky to the touch but stays on the dough hook in one piece.
4. Lightly oil a large stainless or glass bowl and scoop the dough into it. Cover with plastic and chill for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight; the dough should double in volume.
5. About 2 hours before baking, place the dough and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil on a heavy baking sheet and cover it with plastic. Let it rest and rise again for 1½ hours at room temperature.
6. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
7. Press the dough onto the baking sheet—using your hands to stretch and pull it into the corners—into a flat 10 × 12-inch rectangle. Make dimples in the dough with your fingertips (this creates little pockets for the oil and za’atar to collect in) and brush the dough with the remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil.
8. Sprinkle the za’atar evenly over the dough, and then sprinkle the whole bread with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt.
9. Let the dough rest for at least 20 to 30 more minutes, uncovered and at room temperature.
10. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden on the edges and cooked all the way through in the center. Serve warm.
Favorite Yogurt Soup with Toasted Pasta and Dried Mint
Inspired by the classic Armenian or Turkish yogurt soup, this recipe is my absolute favorite comfort food. It’s very easy to make and incredibly delicious. It’s also now on my husband’s top 10 list.
I usually make this recipe with manti: tiny raviolis that can be smaller than cashew nuts and are filled with beef or veal and then toasted. In Turkey, the smaller the manti, the more honored the guest. I made manti in Turkey with a group of extremely skilled women, and it took the three of us half a day to prepare the dish. It is truly a labor of love. Now I buy my manti at my favorite Armenian shop: Sevan Bakery in Watertown, Massachusetts (see Resources, page 358), and I try to always have some on hand. At Sevan Bakery, six people gather to make the manti for the week. After toasting the raviolis, they freeze them. It’s difficult to find manti in the United States, but if you can, you must try it.
For this recipe, crushed vermicelli works very well as a substitute for manti. I crush the vermicelli into very small pieces and toast them before adding them to the soup—a Turkish technique that doesn’t take much time and imparts a rich layer of toasted flavor.
If it’s spring and you’re feeling fancy, you can also add morel mushrooms and chopped, sautéed ramps. I’ve also added spinach and even chunks of avocado to make this dish more substantial.
Yogurt soup is hard to pair with wine. Try a beer instead—like Efes Turkish pilsner.
MAKES ABOUT 12 CUPS TO SERVE 6 AS A MEAL OR 8 AS A FİRST COURSE
¼ pound De Cecco brand angel hair pasta coils (capelli d’angelo) or vermicelli
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups Greek-style yogurt or whole-milk plain yogurt
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon dried mint
2 teaspoons sumac
1. In a medium mixing bowl, crush the coils of angel hair pasta with your hands, until they are broken into pieces ¼ to ½ inch long.
2. In a medium soup pot (3 quarts or more) over medium heat, warm the olive oil (don’t turn up the heat too high or the oil will break down) and add the crushed pasta. Stir the pasta to coat it evenly with the oil and continue to stir for 3 to 4 minutes, until it is toasted and golden brown.
3. Add the chicken broth and increase the heat from medium to high. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the soup for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is cooked. Season with salt and pepper.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, egg yolks, and flour.
5. Ladle 1 cup of the hot soup into the yogurt mixture, whisking until combined. This tempers the yogurt and egg so that it won’t curdle when you add it to the soup. The flour also keeps the yogurt from curdling.
6. Add the yogurt mixture to the soup pot, whisking and continue to whisk on and off for about 5 minutes, until the soup starts to simmer.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle the top with dried mint and sumac. Serve hot.
DISCOVER GREEK WINES
Theresa Paopao, Wine Director at Oleana
Although the Greeks were one of the first civilizations to create wine, they are not the first to spring to mind for most people when choosing wine for dinner. The indigenous grape varieties have names that are not as easy to pronounce as merlot or chardonnay; assyrtiko, agiorgitiko, and xino-mavro don’t exactly roll off the tongue. For some, retsina may be the first introduction to Greek wine made from savatiano, rhoditis, or assyrtiko and treated with pine resin—outside Greece, an acquired taste.
Here’s a rundown on some of the more prominent Greek grapes.
Agiorgitiko (red) — also known as the grape of St. George, from the Nemea valley in the Peloponnesos, dark berry fruit flavors and oak aging give this wine New World appeal
Assyrtiko (white) — a white grape with high acidity; best known from Santorini
Malagousia (white) — a spicy, aromatic white, possibly related to malvasia
Mandelaria (red) — a very tannic grape from the island of Crete, which makes concentrated, powerful wines
Moscofilero (pink) — comparable to Muscat or Gewürztraminer, this grape makes white or rosé wines with delicate floral aromatics like rose petals
Rhoditis (white) — a spicy, Peloponnesian variety with low sugar and high acidity
Savatiano (white) — commonly used for retsina but also produces fruity, balanced wines
Xinomavro (red) — some think this grape may be related to nebbiolo. Highly acidic with red berry flavors with distinct savory qualities of truffles and leather. Look for Xinomavro from the Naousa region.
Crispy Lemon Chicken with Za’atar
This is an Oleana favorite, and my customers would protest if I took it off the menu. I developed this recipe in my quest to find a chicken recipe that’s interesting enough to make people want to order it from the menu or to prepare as a special meal at home.
In the United States, chicken is so mass-produced and inexpensive that we consider it to be a boring, everyday protein. And the flavor isn’t terribly exciting either, unless you can find a free-range bird. A chicken that roams freely, eating grass, bugs, nuts, seeds, dark wild greens, herbs, and fallen tree fruits will taste a whole lot better than a chicken that has spent its life in a tiny cage. Natural and organic chickens—often fed grains to fatten them up quickly—are a good alternative if you can’t find free-range. “Natural” means the birds haven’t been treated with antibiotics or been given steroids. The same is true for organic chickens, and in addition, the feed these birds eat is certified organic.
Deboning and tucking butter and herbs into a chicken and then cooking it under a brick is a classic Tuscan preparation that makes the skin crispy and tight—not flabby or soggy. The brick presses the chicken down to an equal thickness throughout, so the meat cooks evenly and retains its moisture. At Oleana, we debone half a chicken intact, and tuck some of the dark thigh meat around the white breast, which marbles the chicken and enriches the flavor.
If you’re daunted about deboning the chicken yourself, your butcher can do it for you. Or you can buy the pieces separately and serve the breast and thigh pieces side by side, as in the variation below.
Don’t be shy with the za’atar. Make sure you sprinkle each crispy chicken piece generously with this delicious spice mixture.
Serve this chicken with Turkish Cheese Pancakes (page 343).
The chicken itself pairs wonderfully with a crisp, dry, snappy, and citrusy Assyrtiko from the Greek island of Santorini.
SERVES 4
2 lemons, cut into 1/8-inch slices, seeds removed
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
6 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
2 whole chickens, cut in half and deboned
2 terra-cotta bricks, like those found at a garden store, wrapped 3 times in aluminum foil
8 tablespoons za’atar
1. Make the lemon confit. In a small saucepan over very low heat, cook the lemon slices in ¾ cup of the olive oil, slowly and gently (barely simmering) for about 1½ hours, or until soft and jamlike. Drain the oil off and discard because it tastes bitter. Cool for at least 10 minutes and then refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. The confit should be cool before you stuff the chicken; it can be made days ahead if kept covered in the refrigerator.
2. Cut the butter into 6 pieces and then into 12 pieces and then again into 24 pieces so that you have 24 small cubes.
3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on all sides.
4. Create pockets under the chicken skin on both the thigh and breast with your fingers. Make the pockets as deep as you can without piercing all the way through to the other side.
5. Stuff 6 cubes of butter under the skin in each chicken half and then smear a tablespoon of lemon confit in the pockets. Press down on the skin so the butter and confit distribute evenly. The butter may spread only a little, and that’s fine; the heat will melt it and the pressure from the bricks will force the butter to baste the meat as it cooks.
6. Place the chicken skin-side up and fold each half together, pressing the thigh meat up against the breast meat and forming a round shape.
7. In a large sauté pan (about 14 inches), heat 2 cubes of the leftover butter with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, over high heat. When the butter begins to brown, add the pieces of chicken, placing them skin-side down into the pan. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan; you will need to cook the chicken in two pans or in two batches. Place the bricks on top of the chicken pieces. It’s okay if some chicken sticks out from under the bricks; you can move the bricks around as the chicken cooks.
8. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook the chicken until it’s brown and crispy on one side, for about 8 minutes. Remove the bricks and turn the chicken pieces over. Add the remaining butter pieces to the pan and arrange the bricks on top again. Cook for another 8 to 10 minutes on this side, or until the chicken is just cooked through.
9. Remove the bricks from the pan. When cool, you can remove the first two layers of foil from the bricks and re-wrap them for later use.
10. Place the chicken onto a large platter, skin-side up. Sprinkle each piece generously with za’atar and serve.
Variation
You can also use 4 deboned, skin-on chicken breasts and 4 deboned, skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe, preparing them as above. Although you won’t be able to create marbled meat, this variation still makes a delicious chicken dish.