Arabic Fried Crepe (زلابيه) and Chicken in a bag :)

Hello everybody.

As I said today is a compensation to last week’s lousy food ! since I’m free this morning plus no car available, which is a blessing sometimes, I made stuffed chicken with veggies,freekeh soup, beetroot salad and this traditional kind of sweet called Zalabia which is as described best fried Crepe.

First I’ll tell you how I stuffed the chicken, made a paste of butter,oregano, salt,pepper and some Chef Paul poultry seasoning (really excellent brand) and stuffed it between skin and flesh of the chicken then stuffed inside with onions,garlic,celery and lemon slices. Rub remaining of paste all over chicken then put all in oven bag and roast for 1 1/2 hours.

In another bag I baked some veggies, potatoes,carrots and mushrooms added salt,pepper and some of poultry seasoning as well.

Now for the dessert part,took the recipe from my lovely cousin this morning. This dish is usually made when people buy the new virgin olive oil of the season cause it needs frying and fresh olive oil is the perfect choice, though most people and me add a bit of vegetable oil to it cause olive oil burns quickly.

It’s basically a simple sweet dough made into flat breads then fried , sprinkled with icing sugar or honey upon serving, really yummy despite the ugly process of frying ! but worth it anyway.

 

Ingredients and method:

* 5 cups flour (  I mixed 3 white and 2 whole wheat)

* 1 tablespoon aniseed powder.

* 1 tablespoon fennel powder.

* 2-3 tablespoons sesame seeds.

* 2-3 tablespoons black seeds.

* 1 tablespoon instant yeast dissolved with some sugar and lukewarm water.

* 1/2 cup sugar.

* enough water to knead the dough.

 

* Mix all ingredients and knead well till you get a kind of soft dough.

* leave to rest and rise then form equal small balls and leave to rest for 30-40 minutes.

* heat oil very well then spread each ball to a thin round flat bread .

* remove carefully and fry till golden.

* sprinkle with icing sugar or honey before serving.

 

By the way these two dishes will do for Christmas lunch or dinner,specially the chicken , you can even make it a day before the toss it in the oven the next day !

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