Sumac Terrace · Main dishes

Garlic-Lemon Chicken Skewers with Toum

Name: Garlic-Lemon Chicken Skewers with Toum
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 700 g Boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 80 g Plain yogurt; 6 clove Garlic; 2 whole Lemon; 1 tbsp Olive oil; 150 ml Neutral oil; 1 tsp Paprika; 1 tsp Ground cumin; 1 tsp Salt; 0.5 tsp Black pepper; 4 whole Pita breads; 30 ml Water

Chicken thighs marinated with garlic, lemon, yogurt and warm spices, then grilled until the edges char. Served with a quick toum, the pale garlic sauce, and warm pita.

50 minutes · Medium · 4 servings

Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested

Ingredients

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs700 g
Plain yogurt80 g
Garlic6 clove
Lemon2 whole
Olive oil1 tbsp
Neutral oil150 ml
Paprika1 tsp
Ground cumin1 tsp
Salt1 tsp
Black pepper0.5 tsp
Pita breads4 whole
Water30 ml

Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.

Allergen notes

Milk (yogurt) and wheat (pita).

Method

Marinate the chicken

Cut the chicken into 3 cm pieces. Grate 2 garlic cloves. Stir them with the yogurt, juice of 1 lemon, olive oil, paprika, cumin, half the salt and the pepper. Add the chicken, toss, cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Wash your hands, knife and board after handling raw chicken.

Make the toum

Put the remaining 4 garlic cloves and the remaining salt in a blender or a tall jar with a stick blender. Add the juice of half the remaining lemon and blend to a paste. With the motor running, pour in the neutral oil in a thin stream until the sauce turns pale, thick and fluffy. If it separates, add the water and blend again until it comes back together. Taste and add a little more lemon if you want it sharper. Keep it cold.

Grill until safe

Heat a grill pan or the broiler to high and lightly oil the grate or a foil-lined tray. Thread the chicken onto metal skewers, or lay the pieces in a single layer. Cook for 4–5 minutes per side, until browned with a few charred edges. Health Canada’s safe internal temperature for poultry pieces is 74°C (165°F): check the thickest piece with an instant-read thermometer. Do not return cooked chicken to the plate that held it raw.

Serve

Warm the pitas in a dry skillet for about 30 seconds per side. Pile the chicken on a warm plate with the toum, the remaining lemon cut into wedges, and the bread. Serve straight away.

Toum splits when the oil goes in too fast. A thin stream and a spoon of cold water bring it back. Thighs stay juicy past 74°C; breasts dry out, which is why this uses thighs.

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