Djaj ala tari’it sitti – Fried Chicken My Grandmother’s Style

Sitti’s (granny’s) version of fried chicken is just amazing! I am not sure how, when and why she came up with this fabulous recipe, I only remember that she often prepared it for her grandchildren. She fried the chicken pieces in ghee or butter to brown them only, then added enough water to cook the meat to the right doneness. The creamy, lemony and garlicky gravy she whipped up from the cooking liquids was marvellous. The best part of the meal was to dip in the sauce her crunchy French fries fried to perfection in extra-virgin olive oil, and to scoop the chicken and gravy with torn pieces of Lebanese pita bread. It wasn’t difficult for me to recreate the taste and flavour of my sitti’s secret recipe as they were so deeply engraved in my memory. I even dedicated a small story about her in my cookbook “The Taste of Marjeyoun”, and included the recipe revealing one of her many kitchen secrets.

Prepare it only once yourself and you will be hooked forever! I know that for a fact as I received so much positive feedback on this particular dish from various people that purchased the book. Also try it with my batata bi-l-furn as a lighter substitute for French fries, and serve it, like my sitti used to do, alongside tabbouleh and hummus bi tahini.

Sahtein!