Food and Drink

Street food straight from your kitchen: Oven-roasted chicken flatbreads with cucumber and feta

Every time I make this dish, the whole house warms up, the spices in the air redolent of global street food stands. This easy, oven version of a classic makes the most of chicken thighs marinated in warming flavors, including turmeric and cinnamon, cumin and paprika. The combination is heady and tumbles perfectly into a pillow of warmed flatbreads (either homemade or store-bought naan or pita). Any leftovers perk up a salad or a rice bowl.

Serve with lots of pickled veg, cucumber and tomato, hummus, and feta for a festive easy meal that transports without needing a passport.

Oven-roasted chicken flatbreads with cucumber and feta

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Juice of one large lemon or orange

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon

4 to 5 cloves minced garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt

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1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence or dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 large red or yellow onion

To serve:

4 to 6 naan or pita, cut in half and warmed in a skillet or microwave

Hummus and sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta with a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of wine vinegar

Yogurt-cucumber sauce: Three cups plain yogurt stirred with one medium grated cucumber, one small minced clove of garlic and salt to taste.

1. Combine lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, herbes de Provence, turmeric, cinnamon and cayenne together in a bowl. Add chicken thighs, poke holes all over the thighs with a fork and rub the spice mixture (a food-safe glove comes in handy) all over the chicken. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.

2. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Rub a large sheet pan with remaining tablespoon olive oil or line the sheet with non-stick aluminum foil and spray with cooking oil. Spread onion slices over bottom of pan in an even layer; top with chicken and marinade. Cook 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through and browning along the edges. If desired, heat oven to broil high and broil 1 to 2 minutes or just until chicken is browned and bubbling and begins to char a bit here and there. Cut thighs into thin strips or chunks. Taste and add more salt or pepper, as needed. To serve: Spread a layer of yogurt cucumber sauce over bottom of a warm naan or pita bread; top with chicken. Serve with tomatoes and cucumbers. Any leftovers make a great salad the next day or all tossed together into a frittata or over a rice bowl.

Recipes from Kim Sunée's newest book, "Everyday Korean," will be featured at Bear Tooth Theatrepub & Grill. She'll be signing books at Bear Tooth from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6. For more food and travel, visit instagram/kimsunee.

Kim Sunée

Kim Sunée is a bestselling author ("Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home," "A Mouthful of Stars," "Everyday Korean: Fresh, Modern Recipes for Home Cooks") and a former magazine food editor. She's based in Anchorage. For more food and travel, visit instagram.com/kimsunee.

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