You will love these moreish wraps filled with roasted chicken in a sticky pomegranate molasses marinade, crispy lettuce, fresh herbs, pickles and moosir mayo.
This is an easy recipe and will be familiar territory for you if you have, as most people have these days, cooked and / or eaten some kind of wrap. If not, it is still an easy recipe to follow and worth getting your hands on the two ingredients you may not have to hand – pomegranate molasses and moosir (Persian shallots).
What is Pomegranate Molasses?
Pomegranate molasses is a thick syrup with a dark grape colour made from reducing pomegranate juice. The juice is obtained from a tart variety of pomegranate. You can pick up pomegranate molasses (rob-e-anar) from most Middle-Eastern food shops, online or even at some local supermarkets.
It is deliciously tart but the addition of maple syrup and freshly squeezed orange juice balances the favours perfectly for this marinade and complements the chicken. As with all marinades, the longer you leave it the better. So if you have time to marinate your chicken overnight (thighs with skin on and bone in preferably) this will allow the chicken to absorb all the delicious flavours.
What is Moosir?
Moosir is a Persian shallot and has a flavour profile similar to garlic but slightly sweeter and less spicy. They grow wild in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains. They have to be found and dug out of the earth – a similar process to truffles. Commonly used in a yoghurt dip called Maast-o-Moosir, this ingredient adds an amazingly distinctive flavour to dishes. You can buy moosir from most Middle-Eastern food shops or online.
Moosir is bought in its dried form and will need to be rehydrated before use. Soak the moosir in water for 3 to 24 hours. Drain, then rinse in cold water and pat dry. Check the moosir and cut out any stems that remain hard after soaking. I have added the moosir to the mayonnaise for the chicken wraps. Once hydrated, chop the moosir finely and mix with mayonnaise. If you cannot get your hands on this Persian shallot, then you can use garlic. I would recommend steeping the cloves in boiled water before mincing and adding to the mayonnaise to temper the raw garlic.
How to Make Sticky Pomegranate Chicken Wraps
- Marinade the chicken thighs. Put the chicken, onion, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, pomegranate molasses, tomato purée, sriracha, maple syrup, orange juice, seasoning and olive oil in a mixing bowl and mix to coat evenly. Cover, place in the fridge and let it marinate for a minimum of 4 hours (preferably overnight).
- Make the Moosir Mayo. Place the mayonnaise in a bowl and add your minced moosir and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
- Cook the chicken thighs. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Transfer the chicken and its marinade to a shallow roasting tin. Roast for 40-45 minutes, until the chicken and onions have caramelised and are sticky. Remove the chicken from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the wraps and condiments. Take your tortillas, wrap them in foil and place them in the oven to heat for about 15 mins. Then remove them from the oven and turn off the heat. Scatter the chicken with the fresh mint and pomegranate seeds.
- Build the wrap. Take a wrap and spread a layer of moosir mayo on it. Then add shredded lettuce, sliced chicken (removed from the bone) and caramelised onions, topping with Torshi Soorati (pickled red cabbage and onion) or other pickle, the chopped fresh herbs and pomegranate seeds. Roll up the wrap and tuck in.
Serve these wraps with wedges – sweet potatoes are a great accompaniment.
Sticky Pomegranate Chicken Wraps
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 8 free-range chicken thighs (skin-on, bone-in)
- 1 large red onion (finely sliced)
- 4 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tbsp sriracha chilli sauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- Juice of half an orange
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
For the Moosir Mayo
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (8 tbsp)
- 6 discs of dried moosir (rehydrate the moosir the night before by soaking in water. Rinse then pat dry before mincing and adding to mayo).
To Serve
- 8 large tortilla wraps
- Crunchy lettuce (Romaine or iceberg - shredded)
- Torshi Soorati or other pickle of your choice
- Fresh coriander, mint and parsley (chopped) and pomegranate seeds (for garnish and sprinkling in the wraps)
Instructions
- Score each chicken thigh twice with a knife through the skin and into the meat. Then place in a bowl. Add onion, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, pomegranate molasses, tomato purée, sriracha, maple syrup, orange juice, seasoning and olive oil and mix to coat evenly. Cover, place in fridge and let it marinate for a minimum of 4 hours (preferably overnight). About 1 hour before cooking, remove from the fridge and set aside to come up to room temperature.
- Place mayonnaise in a bowl and add minced moosir. Stir and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
- Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
- Transfer chicken and marinade to a shallow roasting tin, then roast for 40-45 minutes, until chicken and onions are caramelised and sticky. Remove from oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Garnish chicken with the fresh mint and pomegranate seeds.
- About 5 minutes before removing your chicken from the oven, take tortillas, wrap them in foil and place them in oven to heat for about 15 mins. Then remove them from oven and turn off heat.
- Build a wrap by spreading a layer of moosir mayo on it, adding shredded lettuce, layering with sliced chicken (removed from the bone) and caramelised onions. Top with Torshi Soorati or other pickle, the chopped fresh herbs and pomegranate seeds. Roll up the wrap and tuck in.