Recipe: Saffron & Lemon Chicken Joojeh Kebabs

Wednesday, 14 August 2024 08:00

This probably features on the menu of every Persian restaurant in the world, the marinade of yogurt and lemon juice tenderises the meat beautifully. This simplified version can be made at home in a conventional oven or grill if you don’t have a barbecue

INGREDIENTS

Four onions, cut in half and thinly sliced into half moons
Juice of five lemons
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground turmeric 400g (14oz) Greek yogurt 3 tbsp crushed sea salt
A generous pinch of saffron threads
3 tbsp boiling water
Six boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 5cm (2in) pieces

METHOD:

1. Put the onions, lemon juice, olive oil, turmeric, yogurt and sea salt into a large mixing bowl and mix well. Using a pestle and mortar, grind the saffron to a powder, then pour over the boiling water and leave to infuse for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Add the chicken to the mixing bowl. Mix well to evenly coat the chicken pieces in the yogurt, then add the saffron water to the bowl and mix thoroughly.

3. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave the chicken in the refrigerator to marinate for a minimum of an hour or preferably overnight. Once the chicken has been marinated, preheat the oven or grill to the highest setting possible. Line a large baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.

4. Remove each piece of chicken from the marinade using a slotted spoon. Lay out all the pieces of chicken on the prepared baking sheet and bake or grill for 18 to 20 minutes maximum, or until the pieces have slightly charred edges but remain beautifully moist on the insides. Serve with flour tortilla wraps or basmati rice with a little salad and some yogurt.

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Recipe: Saffron & Lemon Chicken Joojeh Kebabs

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