The only way to describe a bowl of Yemenite soup is otherworldly. The smell—a heady blend of cumin, coriander, cardamom, and cloves—intoxicates the senses. It’s pure comfort food in a bowl. That smell comes from hawaij, a curry blend native to Yemenite cuisine, not to be confused with hawaij for coffee, its sweet counterpart. I use the spice blend on a whole chicken and roast it on a sheet pan for all the comfort of a bowl of soup turned into a heavenly sheet pan dinner.
Ingredients
Servings 4
- 1 3-pound whole chicken
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- 2 heads garlic cut in half crosswise
- ½ lemon
- 1½ to 2 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes halved
- 2 plum tomatoes quartered
- 1 small Spanish onion sliced into wedges
- 3 tablespoons Hawaij for Soup
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Hilbe or Schug for serving (optional)
Nutritional Facts
Nutrition Facts
Yemenite “Soup” Sheet Pan Chicken
Amount per Serving
Calories
293
% Daily Value*
Fat
14
g
22
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
10
g
Cholesterol
0.2
mg
0
%
Sodium
17
mg
1
%
Potassium
916
mg
26
%
Carbohydrates
39
g
13
%
Fiber
5
g
21
%
Sugar
4
g
4
%
Protein
5
g
10
%
Vitamin A
402
IU
8
%
Vitamin C
52
mg
63
%
Calcium
60
mg
6
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Stuff the chicken cavity with most of the cilantro (reserving some for garnish), ½ head of the garlic, and the lemon half. Place it, breast side up, in the center of the baking sheet. Arrange the potatoes, tomatoes, and onions around the chicken in a single layer.
- In a small bowl, mix the hawaij and olive oil and brush it over the chicken (and under the skin) and vegetables. Season generously with salt. Tuck the remaining 2½ garlic heads, cut side down, into the vegetables.
- Bake for 1 hour, basting the chicken and vegetables with the pan juices halfway through, or until the chicken juices run clear and the vegetables are tender and caramelized.
- Garnish with remaining fresh cilantro and serve with hilbe or Schug. Easy Does It!
Notes
Use store-bought hawaij seasoning, available in Middle Eastern markets and Amazon.
Credit
“Totally Kosher” Copyright © 2023 by Chanie Apfelbaum. Photographs copyright © 2023 by Chanie Apfelbaum. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House.”
