Making Shish Taouk (شيش طاووق)

Don’t worry, the recipe that contains the pistachio I posted earlier is still firming up in the freezer (any guesses?). This is simply something I made to distract me during the 5 hour wait.

Growing up in Qatar food like Shawarma, Kofta and the Shish Kebabs are the epitome of summer. They’re served practically everywhere and is the go-to food for barbeques and/or picnics. Fresh off the grill and then wrapped in a warm and pillow-y pita; and let’s not forget the ritual slathering of lemon-garlic mayo or even toum; a traditional Lebanese dipping sauce that really packs a punch and goes perfect with everything from meat to bread. Serve it with a side of Fattoush or Tabouleh and you’ve got yourself an unforgettable meal.

SHISH TAOUK (شيش طاووق) (recipe adapted from Choosy Beggars) :

[ 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast + 1/4 cup of yoghurt + 3 tablespoons olive oil + 6 cloves of garlic + juice of 1 lemon + 1 tablespoon sweet paprika + 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme + 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin + 1 teaspoon of yellow mustard + 1 teaspoon salt + 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, or to taste ]

OPTIONAL (but highly recommended): Vegetables to thread the chicken skewers with:

[ 1 each of a medium red and yellow or green bell pepper + 1/2 of a large sweet onion ]

Finely chop the garlic and put it in a medium bowl along with the yogurt, tomato paste, olive oil and lemon juice. Add in the dried spices, salt and pepper and stir or whisk until the mixture is uniform.

Cut the chicken into bite sized cubes, each about 1 – 1.5″ in length and as uniform in size as possible. You want the chicken to cook at a fairly consistent rate.

Coat the chicken with the marinade and leave it to soak up those flavors in the fridge for 2-8 hours .

The yogurt marinade will make the chicken decidedly juicy, but if you leave it in the marinade too long the meat will actually get soft and lose it’s texture because the acid from the lemon and yoghurt will start to break down the proteins in the chicken.

If you’re using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them for at least 30 minutes in cold water before you start threading on the meat.

If you’re using vegetables, start by threading a piece of onion onto the bottom of the skewer, top with 2-3 pieces of chicken, more slice of onion and pepper, 2-3 more pieces of chicken, and so on until the skewer is full. Tuck one more piece of onion or pepper onto the top and you’re done.

Grill the chicken over moderately high to high heat for about 5-7 minutes per side, flipping only once, until you see visible char marks and the chicken is cooked through.

Serve alongside buttery rice pilaf and braised vegetables or wrapped in a warm pita bread with some toum (garlic paste) and a side of salad.

SHISH TAOUK (شيش طاووق):

OPTIONAL (but highly recommended): Vegetables to thread the chicken skewers with:

[ 1 each of a medium red and yellow or green bell pepper + 1/2 of a large sweet onion ]

Finely chop the garlic and put it in a medium bowl along with the yogurt, tomato paste, olive oil and lemon juice. Add in the dried spices, salt and pepper and stir or whisk until the mixture is uniform.
Cut the chicken into bite sized cubes, each about 1 – 1.5″ in length and as uniform in size as possible. You want the chicken to cook at a fairly consistent rate.
Coat the chicken with the marinade and leave it to soak up those flavors in the fridge for 2-8 hours .
If you’re using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them for at least 30 minutes in cold water before you start threading on the meat.
If you’re using vegetables, start by threading a piece of onion onto the bottom of the skewer, top with 2-3 pieces of chicken, more slice of onion and pepper, 2-3 more pieces of chicken, and so on until the skewer is full. Tuck one more piece of onion or pepper onto the top and you’re done.
Grill the chicken over moderately high to high heat for about 5-7 minutes per side, flipping only once, until you see visible char marks and the chicken is cooked through.Serve alongside buttery rice pilaf and braised vegetables or wrapped in a warm pita bread with some toum (garlic paste) and a side of salad.