Zubereitung

1. 1

   Stir the sumac into the warm water in a bowl and leave it to steep so that it releases its sourness.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, wash the eggplants, cut off the stem ends and peel the eggplants in strips so that they look striped, then cut them into cubes of about 3 cm. Soak them in a bowl of cold water with the salt so that they absorb less fat later.

3. 3

   Pat the chicken legs dry, cut them through at the joint and rub them with 1 tsp salt. Heat the clarified butter in a wide, heavy pot and brown the meat until golden all over, then remove it.

4. 4

   Peel and dice the onions, deseed the pointed peppers and cut them into rings, and peel and chop the garlic. Sweat the onions in the pan fat until translucent, add the pointed peppers and garlic and fry briefly.

5. 5

   Stir in the tomato paste and pepper paste and toast, stirring, until the paste darkens and smells fragrant. Drain the eggplant, squeeze it firmly with your hands, add it to the pot and fry, turning, until it has taken on colour all over.

6. 6

   Dice the tomatoes and add them with the hot water, the red pepper flakes and a little pepper, lay the chicken pieces with their juices on top and bring to the boil. Braise, covered, over a low heat until the meat is tender and the eggplant is on the point of falling apart.

7. 7

   Pour the sumac water into the pot through a fine sieve or a piece of muslin, pressing the sediment well, then discard it. Continue simmering uncovered until the sauce has reduced a little.

8. 8

   Check with a meat thermometer next to the bone: the chicken must be 75 °C throughout, the juices should run clear and the meat should come away easily from the bone; otherwise braise for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper and adjust the sourness to taste with a little more sumac.

9. 9

   Tip: Serve with white rice, for example Birinc bi şehriye — White Rice with Toasted Vermicelli, or flatbread for dipping, plus fresh spring onions; with bread the meal is no longer gluten-free. In summer, diced zucchini often goes into the pot as well and cooks for the last 15 minutes. The stew tastes almost even better reheated, keeps in the fridge for two days and should be reheated thoroughly until the chicken is back at 75 °C; cool leftover rice quickly, put it in the fridge within two hours at the latest and eat it within a day.