Shish Tawook
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 5 hr (includes marinating and resting time)
- Active: 45 min
- Yield: 4 servings
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 5 hr (includes marinating and resting time)
- Active: 45 min
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
Chicken:
Shish Tawook Kabob Wrap:
Toum:
Directions
Special equipment:
skewers- For the chicken: Place the chicken cubes in a bowl, then add the lemon juice, olive oil, yogurt, vinegar, salt, tomato paste, pepper, oregano, ginger, paprika and garlic. Rub into the chicken with your hands until all ingredients assimilate well. Let marinate in a covered container in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Preheat a grill on medium heat.
- Skewer the chicken. Grill, turning once, until 170 degrees F, 10 to 12 minutes. (Alternatively, you can lay the skewers on the edges of a deep baking dish and bake in the oven at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes.) Let rest 3 minutes.
- For the shish tawook kabob wrap: Spread 1 tablespoon toum along the center of each pita bread. Add 5 to 6 chicken chunks to each. Garnish with the wild cucumber pickles and grilled tomatoes, then roll and enjoy. (You could also toast the wraps on a panini grill for 2 to 3 minutes.)
Toum:
- Add the garlic and salt to a food processor and run for 10 to 20 seconds. Stop the processor, scrape down the sides, and run the processor again for another 10 to 20 seconds. Repeat the process until the garlic starts to turn pasty, 3 to 4 times. Turn the processor back on and keep it on. Start adding the oil slowly in a very thin stream.
- After adding the first half cup you will start seeing the garlic emulsify and turn into a shiny paste. Add 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice very slowly, in a thin stream. Wait until the lemon juice is well absorbed, a few seconds, then go back to repeating the same process of slowly adding 1/2 cup oil in a thin stream, waiting a few seconds, then adding 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, until you’ve used all the ingredients. This process should take 8 to 10 minutes.
Cook’s Note
Ensure that all the toum ingredients are at room temperature for a more reliable outcome. If you are using a large food processor, make sure you use at least 3 heads of garlic; smaller quantities of garlic won't be easily reached by large blades. If you can't make the toum successfully the first time around, don't throw the resulting sauce away. Use it as a marinade for grilled chicken.
