Shish Taouk, Lebanese Chicken Skewers

Method

1. Use thigh, not breast

   Thigh stays juicy over a hot fire and takes the char better. Breast dries out at this heat.

2. Marinate in yoghurt

   Mix the yoghurt, lemon, garlic, tomato puree, spices, oil and salt, and coat the chicken. Four hours minimum. The yoghurt tenderises gently and helps it brown.

3. Thread tightly

   Push the cubes together on the skewers so the outside chars while the inside stays juicy.

4. Grill hot, turning

   Ten to twelve minutes over a hot bed, turning to colour all sides, until charred and cooked through to 75°C (165°F).

5. Serve with toum

   Rest a couple of minutes, then serve with toum, warm flatbread and pickles. The garlic sauce is not optional.

Notes worth knowing

• Toum is whipped garlic, oil, lemon and salt into a fluffy white emulsion. It is fierce and wonderful; make extra.
• A little red food colour or extra paprika gives the classic restaurant hue, but is not needed for flavour.
• Char a few tomatoes and onions on skewers alongside.

Common questions

What is toum?

A Lebanese garlic sauce, an emulsion of garlic, oil, lemon and salt whipped until fluffy and white. It is intensely garlicky and the traditional partner to shish taouk.

Breast or thigh for shish taouk?

Thigh. It stays moist over the fierce direct heat these skewers need, where breast would dry out before it charred.