Charcoal Grilled Chicken Skewers in Ancient Arab Spices

Charcoal Grilled Chicken Skewers in Ancient Arab Spices


Marinated Chicken ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken thigh or breast meat (1½ lbs.)

¼ cup Homemade Thick Yogurt (page 189 of cookbook), or Greek yogurt

¼ cup canola oil, plus extra for grilling

2 garlic cloves, finely grated

¼ small yellow onion, finely grated

3 tbsp. Ancient Arab Spice Blend (page 174)

1½ tbsp. Saffron Water (page 199)

2 tsp. sherry vinegar

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Sea salt

Cilantro Yogurt Sauce ingredients

½ cup Homemade Thick Yogurt (page 189), or Greek yogurt

1 tbsp. cilantro, roughly chopped

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

A pinch of cayenne

Sea salt

Marinated Chicken directions

Trim the chicken of excess fat. If using breasts, remove the tenders and reserve for another use. Cut the meat into 1½-inch pieces. Whisk the rest of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Toss the chicken in the marinade and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours and up to overnight.

Cilantro Yogurt Sauce directions

Whisk all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl, then season with salt. Can be made up to 6 hours in advance.

Skewers directions

Use 4 thin metal skewers or if not available, soak long wooden skewers in cold water for 30 minutes. Preheat the charcoal grill to medium-high heat or you can use a gas grill, but the flavor won't be as good. Squeeze the chicken to drain the extra marinade. Skewer the chicken and season with sea salt. Generously oil the grill with the reserved oil, as the marinade makes it easy for the chicken to stick to the grill. Grill the skewers for 3–5 minutes without moving them, until well browned on the outside. Turn the skewers over and cook for about 2 minutes to finish cooking the chicken. Let rest for 3 minutes. Serve with the cilantro yogurt sauce.