Mushroom Musakhan
By America's Test KitchenPublished on January 27, 2022
Time
2¾ hours
Yield
Makes two 15-inch flatbreads, Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 Thin-Crust Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough recipe ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried4 garlic cloves, minced1½ tablespoons sumac ¼ teaspoon ground allspice ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom 2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar Salt and pepper 2 pounds onions, halved and sliced through root end into ¼-inch-thick pieces¼ cup pine nuts 2 pounds portobello mushroom caps, gills removed, caps halved and sliced ½ inch thick2 tablespoons minced fresh chive
Before You Begin
Some baking stones can handle the heat of the broiler, but thinner baking stones can crack; be sure to check the manufacturer's website. If you do not have a baking stone, you can use a preheated rimless (or inverted) baking sheet. Serve with yogurt.
Instructions
- Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. Shape each half into smooth, tight ball. Place on lightly oiled baking sheet, spaced at least 3 inches apart, cover loosely with greased plastic wrap, and let stand for 1 hour. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place baking stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Let baking stone heat for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, combine 1 tablespoon oil, oregano, garlic, sumac, allspice, and cardamom in bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering. Stir in brown sugar and ½ teaspoon salt. Add onions and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to soften and release some moisture, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are deeply browned and slightly sticky, 35 to 40 minutes. (If onions are sizzling or scorching, reduce heat. If onions are not browning after 15 to 20 minutes, increase heat.) Clear center of skillet, add oregano-garlic mixture, and cook, mashing mixture into skillet, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir oregano-garlic mixture into onions.
- Transfer onion mixture to food processor and pulse to jamlike consistency, about 5 pulses. Transfer to bowl, stir in pine nuts, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Wipe now-empty skillet clean with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of mushrooms and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to separate bowl. Repeat with 2 tablespoons oil, remaining mushrooms, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Heat broiler for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, coat 1 ball of dough generously with flour and place on well-floured counter. Using fingertips, gently flatten dough into 8-inch disk. Using hands, gently stretch dough into 12 by 8-inch oval, working along edges as you go. Transfer dough to well-floured peel and stretch into 15 by 8-inch oval.
- Spread half of onion mixture evenly over dough, edge to edge, and scatter half of mushrooms over top.
- Slide flatbread carefully onto stone and return oven to 500 degrees. Bake until crust is well browned, about 10 minutes, rotating flatbread halfway through baking. Transfer flatbread to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Drizzle with 1½ teaspoons oil and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chives. Slice and serve.
- Heat broiler for 10 minutes. Repeat steps 5 through 7 with remaining ingredients to make second flatbread, returning oven to 500 degrees when flatbread is placed on stone.
Time
2¾ hoursYield
Makes two 15-inch flatbreads, Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
1 Thin-Crust Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough recipe
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried
4 garlic cloves, minced
1½ tablespoons sumac
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
Salt and pepper
2 pounds onions, halved and sliced through root end into ¼-inch-thick pieces
¼ cup pine nuts
2 pounds portobello mushroom caps, gills removed, caps halved and sliced ½ inch thick
2 tablespoons minced fresh chive
Ingredients
1 Thin-Crust Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough recipe
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried
4 garlic cloves, minced
1½ tablespoons sumac
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
Salt and pepper
2 pounds onions, halved and sliced through root end into ¼-inch-thick pieces
¼ cup pine nuts
2 pounds portobello mushroom caps, gills removed, caps halved and sliced ½ inch thick
2 tablespoons minced fresh chive
Ingredients
1 Thin-Crust Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough recipe
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried
4 garlic cloves, minced
1½ tablespoons sumac
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
Salt and pepper
2 pounds onions, halved and sliced through root end into ¼-inch-thick pieces
¼ cup pine nuts
2 pounds portobello mushroom caps, gills removed, caps halved and sliced ½ inch thick
2 tablespoons minced fresh chive
Why This Recipe Works
Musakhan is a popular Palestinian dish featuring chewy flatbread topped with roasted chicken, caramelized onions, pine nuts, and tart sumac—a deep purple-red, tangy, fruity spice. We wanted a vegetarian version that still had the distinctive flavor of the original dish. First we swapped in sautéed portobello mushrooms for the chicken. Their earthy, robust flavor and juicy flesh made our musakhan taste and feel as meaty as the original. Next we made a sticky-sweet caramelized onion jam spiced with sumac, allspice, and cardamom. Taboon bread, which is usually used as the base, is a thick, slightly chewy, and crispy flatbread. We found that our recipe for Thin-Crust Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough made a great substitute thanks to its wheaty flavor and similarly crisp, chewy edges.
Before You Begin
Some baking stones can handle the heat of the broiler, but thinner baking stones can crack; be sure to check the manufacturer's website. If you do not have a baking stone, you can use a preheated rimless (or inverted) baking sheet. Serve with yogurt.
Instructions
- Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. Shape each half into smooth, tight ball. Place on lightly oiled baking sheet, spaced at least 3 inches apart, cover loosely with greased plastic wrap, and let stand for 1 hour. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place baking stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Let baking stone heat for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, combine 1 tablespoon oil, oregano, garlic, sumac, allspice, and cardamom in bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering. Stir in brown sugar and ½ teaspoon salt. Add onions and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to soften and release some moisture, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are deeply browned and slightly sticky, 35 to 40 minutes. (If onions are sizzling or scorching, reduce heat. If onions are not browning after 15 to 20 minutes, increase heat.) Clear center of skillet, add oregano-garlic mixture, and cook, mashing mixture into skillet, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir oregano-garlic mixture into onions.
- Transfer onion mixture to food processor and pulse to jamlike consistency, about 5 pulses. Transfer to bowl, stir in pine nuts, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Wipe now-empty skillet clean with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of mushrooms and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to separate bowl. Repeat with 2 tablespoons oil, remaining mushrooms, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Heat broiler for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, coat 1 ball of dough generously with flour and place on well-floured counter. Using fingertips, gently flatten dough into 8-inch disk. Using hands, gently stretch dough into 12 by 8-inch oval, working along edges as you go. Transfer dough to well-floured peel and stretch into 15 by 8-inch oval.
- Spread half of onion mixture evenly over dough, edge to edge, and scatter half of mushrooms over top.
- Slide flatbread carefully onto stone and return oven to 500 degrees. Bake until crust is well browned, about 10 minutes, rotating flatbread halfway through baking. Transfer flatbread to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Drizzle with 1½ teaspoons oil and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chives. Slice and serve.
- Heat broiler for 10 minutes. Repeat steps 5 through 7 with remaining ingredients to make second flatbread, returning oven to 500 degrees when flatbread is placed on stone.
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