Smoked Musakhan — Palestinian Sumac Chicken on Taboon Bread

Utilizing the Freeze-Marinade Infusion technique, mix 0.5 cup olive oil, 0.25 cup tart sumac, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 6 cloves of grated garlic, 2 tsp allspice, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper in a vacuum seal bag. Add your 4.5 lbs of chicken pieces (8-cut) into the bag and seal, ensuring the deep-red emulsion fully coats every surface. Freeze the bag flat for at least 24 hours; as ice crystals form, they will rupture the muscle fibers and draw the high-acid sumac and garlic deep into the meat. Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours prior to smoking to ensure the interior remains below 40°F until it hits the heat.

In a heavy-bottomed skillet over low heat, combine 3 thinly sliced yellow onions with 0.5 cup of high-quality olive oil. Gently sweat the onions for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to achieve a jammy, translucent collapse without any browning or crisping. Once the onions have fully softened and surrendered their moisture, remove from heat and fold in 0.25 cup sumac, 1 tsp allspice, and 1 tsp salt. The goal is a dark mahogany 'jam' where the onion sweetness balances the astringency of the sumac.

Preheat your smoker to a steady 275°F using oak or olive wood chunks. Ensure you have a clean-burning 'blue' smoke before introducing meat; white, billowy smoke indicates incomplete combustion which will make the delicate sumac flavor turn acrid. Place a water pan in the cook chamber to maintain humidity, which prevents the surface of the chicken from drying out too quickly and allows for better smoke adhesion.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and arrange the pieces on the grates skin-side up. Using the increased surface area of the 8-cut pieces, allow the smoke to circulate freely around each part. Smoke for approximately 2 to 2.5 hours until the internal temperature is exactly 175°F. While 165°F is the safety standard, we push to 175°F for Musakhan to ensure the connective tissues in the thighs are fully broken down and the skin is bite-through rather than rubbery.

While the chicken enters its final 15 minutes of smoking, prepare the base by layering 6 Taboon breads or thick flatbreads on a large platter. Drizzle generously with an additional 2 tbsp of olive oil and a heavy dusting of sumac. The bread must be 'soaked' to the point of being supple but not soggy; this starch is designed to catch all the rendered fat and juices from the subsequent layers.

Spread the warm sumac-onion mixture thick over the oil-soaked bread. Once the chicken hits 175°F, transfer it directly from the pit onto the onion bed. Tent the entire platter loosely with foil for 15 minutes. This rest allows the carryover heat to settle and the juices to redistribute back into the muscle fibers, while simultaneously steaming the bread and onions into a cohesive, flavorful mass.

Uncover the dish and scatter 0.25 cup of toasted pine nuts across the top for texture. Perform one final drizzle of olive oil and a final pinch of raw sumac to provide a bright top-note that cuts through the heavy oil. Serve the platter the middle of the table, instructing guests to tear the bread and use it as a vessel for the onion and chicken. The final presentation should be glossy, deep-red, and highly aromatic.