Chicken shawarma sandwiches
Middle Eats · ♥ 29.2K likes · 884.6K views · 14 min video
Read about thighs in the BrightCulinary Book
Timestamp
Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 4 whole bay leaves
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Crush four bay leaves with a quarter teaspoon kosher salt in a mortar and pestle, or in a high-powered blender or spice grinder, until in really small pieces.
Crushing bay leaves for the spice mix
- 1¾ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Bajorato allspice
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp cloves
Add the remaining salt and all the ground spices and whisk until well combined.
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup yogurt
- 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
- 4–6 cloves garlic cloves
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 kg boneless chicken thighs
In a large mixing bowl combine the yogurt, lemon juice, white vinegar, oil, minced garlic and tomato paste, then the spice mix; mix to a uniform marinade.
Flatten the deboned, skinless thighs to a uniform half centimetre (quarter inch): butterfly thick parts by slicing horizontally, or hammer with a meat mallet under plastic.
Add the chicken to the marinade and work it in by hand until every piece is coated. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge overnight, a minimum of 12 hours.
Lay each thigh face down and cut into strips about half a centimetre thick. Pierce one side of every strip onto one skewer and the other side onto a second, stretching the strips across both; push to the end with no gaps. Repeat until the skewers are mostly full.
Line a baking dish with foil and lay the skewers across its edges so the chicken is suspended over the foil.
Cooking suspended under the broiler
Cook under the broiler or grill on medium 3 to 5 minutes until slightly browned; rotate the skewers, cook another 3 to 5 minutes, rotate again and cook 2 to 3 minutes, to 74 Celsius or 165 Fahrenheit in the centre. Do not overcook.
variation: grill whole thighs in a preheated grill pan, flipping every three minutes until charred on each side, then chop; or pan-fry the strips.
- lavash
- Toulm or Lebanese garlic sauce
Halve the lavash. Spread garlic sauce over the centre three quarters, with a little on the edge to seal.
Building the sandwich
- salty cucumber pickles
Lay a generous line of chicken along the centre, all facing the same direction, then a good amount of salty cucumber pickles and a generous amount of chilli sauce.
- shata, or chilli sauce
Fold both sides in over the filling, roll the bottom up over the fillings, collect the corners in and roll the final bit at the top. Wrap in greaseproof paper.
Rolling and pressing
Grill in a preheated panini press or grill pan, weighed down with a pot of water, 30 to 60 seconds a side until grill marks form. Slice in half.