When Sweet Meets Sour—Delicious Tamarind Chicken

When my children were little, the only way they would eat chicken was when I cooked it with a barbecue sauce. And they loved it when I would spoon the sweet mesquite flavored juices over the rice.

Nowadays, on Friday nights, no matter what else is on the menu, chicken is a must for my family. The kids love my lemon chicken or my olive chicken. And all three of them still relish taking the juice and spooning it over the rice.

Although my family doesn’t tire of my standard chicken recipes, I get bored. So, recently on a Friday morning, I was a bit desperate for a new recipe. I looked in my pantry for inspiration and sitting there was a jar of tamarind paste.

Since my son Sam married Estrella, we have become accustomed to using tamarind more regularly. Estrella has Syrian heritage by way of Mexico City and brings with her their culinary traditions. Syrian Jews love to use tamarind in most of their recipes.

Tamarind is an indispensable ingredient in the kitchen, lending dishes a sweet and sour complexity. I absolutely love the dark caramel and molasses notes and the way it perfectly transforms chicken, meat, and vegetables.

In crafting this recipe, I thought back to my mother’s Friday night chicken, which often included white wine and potatoes or tomato sauce and red peppers.

Luckily, this tamarind chicken was a hit, a delectable homage to the old generation and the new.

The chicken was succulent and juicy, the onions soft and melted and the potatoes, creamy and flavorful. The sauce was a wonderful play of lemony sweetness and herby, garlicky umami. Just perfect for spooning over your rice.

—Rachel 

Tamarind Chicken

Spice Rub
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

8-10 pieces of chicken, thighs and drumsticks, patted dry
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 onions, peeled and quartered
6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves

2 Tbsp consommé
1 cup water 

2 Tbsp tomato purée
2 Tbsp tamarind
2 Tbsp pomegranate syrup or honey
1/2 cup water
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 tsp oregano
1 lemon, sliced into rings 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Coat the chicken pieces evenly with the spice mix. 

Pour the olive oil in a large roasting tray or casserole dish. Arrange the chicken (skin side up), onions, potatoes, garlic and bay leaf in layers. 

 In a measuring cup, mix the consommé and water. Then pour around the sides of the roasting dish. 

In the same measuring cup, combine the tomato purée, tamarind, honey and water. Pour sauce over the chicken pieces.

Pour the chopped tomatoes over the sauce, then sprinkle with the oregano.

Arrange lemon slices between the chicken pieces. Cover tightly.

Place on bottom shelf of the oven for 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and turn the chicken pieces over.

Bake covered for another 45 minutes.

Turn chicken over, so that skin side is up. Bake uncovered for another 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Serve chicken with the thick basting juices from the pan.

Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff have been friends since high school. The Sephardic Spice Girls project has grown from their collaboration on events for the Sephardic Educational Center in Jerusalem. Follow them
on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food. Website sephardicspicegirls.com/full-recipes.