“There was no such thing as a vegetarian dinner in our household — we had chicken all the time,” says Steve Cook, the co-owner of acclaimed Philadelphia restaurant Zahav. “It was kind of a running joke, when we would ask what was for dinner and my mom would be like: ‘Well, chicken surprise number whatever.’ She had a million different ways to prepare chicken,” he adds.
Among her signatures was an old world leaning dish made with heaps of onions, carrots, and paprika that were stewed in a Club Aluminum pot and served with kasha. Meanwhile, growing up in Pittsburg, Steve’s business partner chef Michael Solomonov (who is a member of the JFS board) grew up with chicken stir fry for dinner often and every fifth one or so was made with chicken liver, which drove the family German shepherd nuts.
This crunchy sesame chicken recipe comes from Steve and Michael’s new book “Zahav Home: Cooking for Friends & Family.” And, while it’s not from their mothers’ kitchens, Steve says, “it’s inspired by something [my mom] would have made.” In the book, Michael notes: “Sesame seeds are the Israeli Shake ’n Bake.”
It’s paired with matbucha, a jammy Moroccan dish that’s a mix of tomatoes and peppers that they make at the restaurant, but this version “is as quick as you can make it in a house,” Michael adds.
Cook’s note: If you are making this on a busy weeknight, get the chicken into the oven and then start on the matbucha — it will be ready by the time the chicken is done cooking.
Read more about Michael’s family in “Chef Michael Solomonov’s Brisket Recipe Has Evolved With Each Generation” and explore over 40 recipes from him in our Bringing Israel Home collection.
