How to Make Lebanese Chicken Fatteh (Fattet Djej)

Fatteh comes from the Arabic word for crumbling or breaking bread, and every version starts the same way: pieces of toasted or fried bread at the bottom of a dish, something warm on top, then cool yogurt and a final spoon of nuts fried in butter. Fattet djej, with chicken, is the generous Friday or Sunday lunch version, and a popular dish at iftar during Ramadan.

The magic is in the contrasts. Hot chicken and chickpeas against cold yogurt, crunchy bread against soft sauce, and a hit of cinnamon and allspice from the broth. Assemble it right before eating so the bread keeps some crunch.

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 900 g (2 lb) bone-in chicken thighs or breasts (or 700 g / 1.5 lb boneless)
• 1 onion, halved
• 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, 4 cardamom pods and 5 allspice berries
• 1.5 l (6 cups) water
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp seven spice (sabaa baharat)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 can (400 g / 14 oz) chickpeas, drained, or 250 g (1 1/2 cups) cooked chickpeas

For the bread

• 3 large Lebanese pita loaves (about 25 cm / 10 in)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sumac (optional)

For the yogurt sauce

• 750 g (3 cups) plain full-fat yogurt
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed with 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

To finish

• 2 tbsp butter or ghee
• 40 g (1/4 cup) pine nuts or slivered almonds
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley and a few pomegranate seeds

Instructions

1. Put the chicken, halved onion, whole spices and salt in a pot and cover with the water. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam, then lower to a gentle simmer. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes for bone-in pieces (20 minutes for boneless), until the meat is cooked through.
2. While the chicken simmers, heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Split the pita into two thin layers, tear or cut them into 3 cm (1 in) pieces, toss with the olive oil and sumac, and spread on a tray. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring once, until golden and crisp.
3. Make the sauce: whisk the yogurt, tahini, crushed garlic and lemon juice until smooth. Taste for salt. Keep it at room temperature while you finish the rest.
4. Lift the chicken out, let it cool for a few minutes and shred it, discarding skin and bones. Strain and keep the broth.
5. Heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the shredded chicken, seven spice and black pepper, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned in spots. Add the chickpeas and 120 ml (1/2 cup) of broth and simmer for 5 minutes, until the liquid has mostly reduced.
6. In a small pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Watch closely, they burn fast.
7. Assemble in a wide serving dish: spread the toasted bread on the bottom, spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of hot broth over it to soften it slightly, then add the chicken and chickpeas. Pour the yogurt sauce over the top.
8. Pour the pine nuts and their butter over the yogurt, scatter with parsley and pomegranate seeds, and serve at once.

Tips for the best chicken fatteh

• Use the broth on the bread sparingly. You want some pieces soft and some still crisp.
• Bring the yogurt to room temperature so the dish is not ice cold in the middle.
• Fry the bread in oil instead of baking it if you want the restaurant-style crunch.

Variations

Many Lebanese homes add a layer of cooked rice (rice with vermicelli works well) between the bread and the chicken, which turns it into a full one-dish meal. For fattet hummus, leave out the chicken and double the chickpeas. A sprinkle of dried mint over the yogurt is also common.

How to serve and store

Serve with pickles, radishes and a simple salad. Fatteh does not keep well once assembled, so store the parts separately: chicken and broth in the fridge for 3 days, bread in an airtight tin, sauce in a covered jar for 2 days.

A thick, tangy yogurt makes this dish. Bekaa dairies such as Taanayel Les Fermes make the kind of laban Lebanese cooks use, and Al Wadi Al Akhdar tahini is easy to find in Lebanese groceries abroad.

Frequently Asked Questions