Chicken with sumac, Zaatar and lemon with Char roasted aubergine and pepper salad

I think Autumn brings way for the food menus to change cool salads and BBQ'ed meats make way for roasts and curries.  My soul has been yearning for some fragrant warming comfort food with flavours that entice and reach out to encourage social eating.  I looked to north Africa and eastern Mediterranean for inspiration and after talking to a dear friend who also shares my love of food she pointed me in the direction i needed, I am so excited Thursday i ordered my new cook book and Friday 7pm it was delivered my new Ottolenghi.  So i set about flicking and licking through the pages and made my first dinner Chicken with Sumac, Zaatar and lemon with a fresh, light and juicy char roasted aubergine with pepper and red onion.  One bite and i am addicted to these robust and pungent fragrant tastes and i have much more happy cooking times in the kitchen ahead bring some great food to share with my family.

Charred aubergine with peppers and red onion

2 aubergines
1 red and yellow pepper roughly chopped (roasted and peeled was not in recipe but i think this gave a better flavour)
1 red onion finely sliced
cherry tomatoes halved
bunch of flat leaf parsley chopped
sunflower oil
cider vinegar
3tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves crushed (not per recipe)
salt and pepper

• placed the aubergine and peppers directly on the flames of a gas hob and turn occasionally cooking for 10-15 till the skin blisters and can be peeled off scoop out the seeds from the aubergine and leave to drain for an hour in a colander.  Once drained cut up and place in a bowl and mix together with all the other ingredients.

Chicken with Sumac, Zaatar and lemon

6 chicken thighs ( i was feeding 2 adults and a child)
2 red onions finely sliced
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 1/2 tsp ground all spice  i used Steenburgs
1tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sumac
1 lemon finely sliced
200ml chicken stock
2 tbsp Zaatar
flat leaf parsley
50 g pine nuts
20g butter
olive oil to drizzle
salt and pepper

• mix al the ingredients together in a baking tray to marinate except the parsley, pine nuts, butter and olive oil 
• make sure the chicken is skin side up and roast for 40 mins at 200c
• fry off the pine nuts in butter (i used pre roasted pine nuts) and once the chicken is cooked sprinkle with the nuts, parsley and olive oil 

Large chunks of bread are a must for this dish