CHICKEN SHAWARMA SANDWICHES

This Sunday Ben took to the kitchen to create this superb lunch! We were so impressed with previous recipes by Ottolenghi that we had to try another one!

RECIPE
* "Chicken Shawarma Sandwiches" by Yotam Ottolengh

Chicken, marinade and bread:

2½ tbsp lemon juice
3 small garlic cloves, crushed
20g fresh ginger, finely grated
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¾ tsp sweet paprika
1½ tsp ground cumin
¾ tbsp sumac
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¾ tsp ras el hanout;
8 chicken thighs, boneless, skin on (800g net weight)
90ml olive oil
25g chopped coriander, stems and leaves
4 large flatbreads such as pita or naan
Salt and black pepper

Red onion and cucumber salsa

Red onion and cucumber salsa:
1 red onion, thinly sliced (100g net)
½ a large cucumber, thinly sliced (180g)
20g chopped dill, plus extra to garnish
4 tsp sumac
4 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp olive oil

Tahini sauce

Tahini sauce:
2½ tbsp lemon juice
100g tahini
15g parsley, roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish
1 small garlic clove, crushed

Zhoug

Zhoug:
35g coriander, roughly chopped
20g parsley, roughly chopped
3 green chillies, des-seeded and roughly chopped
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground cardamom
A pinch of caster sugar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp olive oil 

METHOD

1. First make the marinade. Combine the lemon juice, garlic and ginger in a large bowl. Dry-fry the spices on medium heat until their aroma is released and then add these to the bowl, along with 1 teaspoon of salt and ¾ teaspoon of black pepper. Pat dry the chicken pieces and place them in the marinade along with 5 tablespoons of the olive oil and the fresh coriander. Massage the mixture into the chicken well, cover the bowl and leave in the fridge to marinade for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight.
2.  Place all the ingredients for the salsa in a small bowl, along with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Mix well and set aside.
3.  Put all the ingredients for the tahini sauce in a food processor adding a 90ml of water and a pinch of salt and blitz until completely smooth with the consistency of honey. Add a little more water if it is too thick to pour.
4.  Place all the ingredients for the zhoug in a small food processor bowl and add 2 tablespoons of water and a ¼ teaspoon of salt. Blitz in a few pulses to get a coarse paste; make sure not to over mix.
5.  Preheat the oven to 180C.
6.  Place a large ridged griddle pan on high heat. Once red hot, cook the chicken pieces for 3 minutes on each side until nice and brown. Transfer to an oven tray to cook the meat through in the oven; about 6 minutes. Allow to rest for a few minutes before cutting the chicken into 1 centimetre thick slices. Any remaining juices from the pan can be drizzled over the meat.
7.  Wipe off most of the residues from the griddle pan and add the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Drizzle the flatbreads with a little water, just to moisten on the outside, and place in the pan for about a minute on each side, to warm up. Lay out each pita sheet and spoon over some tahini sauce. Place some chicken pieces on top of this, followed by the salsa and 1 tablespoon per serving of the zhoug. Finish with a sprinkle of parsley and dill, roll the pita together and serve at once.