Msakhan is a traditional Palestinian dish usually made by stacking several breads on top of each other, each layer topped with onion and sumac, and served with chicken pieces on the side. This method can get a little messy when it’s time to eat, so here’s a more modern, less messy approach to making this delicious dish.

Image: Walla Abu-Eid

Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken breast without skin and bones
• 1/2 kg onions
• 5 markouk or mashrooh (thin) bread
• 1 cup sumac
• 1 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Place the chicken breast in a saucepan over heat and add water to cover the chicken.
2. Keep the chicken over heat until it is cooked then remove from heat. Set to cool then fragment it into thread-like pieces.
3. Chop the onions into wings then fry in a saucepan with half a cup of oil until the onion wilts.
4. Add the sumac over the onions and mix. Then add in the fragmented chicken and fry well. Season with salt and black pepper.
5. Leave the chicken and onion filling over heat while stirring constantly for five minutes. Then remove the saucepan from heat.
6. Divide each loaf of bread into four sections in the form of triangles.
7. Place 2 tablespoons of the filling inside each bread section then wrap the bread in the form of a funnel.
8. Place the msakhan sandwiches in a greased pan, spray/brush on some olive oil and place in the oven until the surface of the sandwiches turns lightly brown.
9. Serve the msakhan sandwiches hot.

By Walla Abu-Eid

Walla is a pharmacist and currently a stay-at-home mum. Food making, baking and decorating are her passions. The accuracy and techniques mastered and required in the dispensing and making of medicines sparked her love for making gourmet food. She is always trying new dishes, and aims to inspire others by capturing the best images of the food she makes and sharing her recipes.