RAMADAN RECIPE – SHISH TAWOOK

Thu 23 March 2023:

Shish Tawook is a very popular skewered chicken dish in the Middle East. Think of perfectly tender and juicy chicken that’s been marinating in earthy spices, yogurt, lemon juice and garlic.

Essentially the three most important ingredients in the marinade are yogurt, lemon juice and garlic (6 whole garlic cloves!). But I also add tomato paste to give it that rich red color, and some other spices including paprika, cinnamon, oregano and ginger. Mix it all together and you’ll get this orangey creamy color ready for you to coat the chicken with.

Add the large cubes of chicken breast to the marinade and make sure that everything is well coated. While the yogurt and lemon are crucial parts of the flavor of this dish, they also act as a tenderizer for the chicken. That’s what makes the chicken come out so juicy and tender. Let it marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Skewer the chicken right before you’re ready to cook it. I like adding chunks of white onions on each skewer to eat with the sandwich. I love how onions get sweeter when they’re grilled…the perfect vegetable with this shish tawook.

Traditionally, these chicken skewers are meant to be grilled outdoors. You can also use an indoor grill pan or regular pan if you don’t have a grill pan. Either way, you’d be surprised how quickly the shish tawook cooks, all thanks to the yogurt and lemon juice in the base that helped tenderize the chicken!

TIPS FOR MAKING SHISH TAWOOK

Marinade the chicken for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight in the fridge to allow the chicken to tenderize. Trust me, it’ll make the chicken more juicy and flavorful!
Cover the chicken immediately with pita bread after grilling. The pita bread helps trap the vapors and moisture to make the chicken even more juicy! It’s often served this way as well.
Use plain full fat yogurt, and not Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is fine, but it’s best to use regular yogurt because the water content from the regular yogurt helps to keep the chicken moist.
Soak the bamboo sticks for 30-45 minutes if you’re using. This will prevent them from burning and possibly getting burnt woodchips inside the shish tawook.

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