A delicious and versatile recipe for a summer barbecue
Diana Henry The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer
Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
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Published
These are joojeh kebabs – my absolute favourite. They don’t usually have cayenne in (the dominant flavour is saffron), but you can add it if you want a little heat. Serve with a rice pilaff and roast tomatoes.
Requires marinating time
Overview
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
10 mins
Serves
4
Ingredients
- 200g plain yogurt
- 1 onion, coarsely grated
- ¼ tsp ground cayenne (optional)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Good pinch of saffron stamens
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- 1kg chicken thigh fillets or chicken breasts, skin removed
- 50ml extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
Method
Step
Put 200g plain yogurt, 1 coarsely grated onion, ¼ tsp ground cayenne (if using) and the juice of 1 lemon into a large bowl.
Step
Grind the saffron stamens in a mortar with 1 tsp coarse sea salt, then add 2 tbsp just-boiled water. Stir this into the yogurt mixture, until well combined.
Step
Cut the 1kg chicken thigh fillets or breast into chunks (thigh is harder to make into neat pieces for skewers, but it does have more flavour). Put the chicken in the marinade, cover and leave in the fridge for an hour (longer is fine).
Step
Thread the meat on to skewers. If you intend to cook them in a frying pan rather than a barbecue, make sure the skewers are the right size for the pan you are using.
Step
Cook on a barbecue, turning them over every so often, for about 6-8 minutes. Or heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken all over, turning it round every so often, until cooked through. Thigh meat takes longer to cook than breast meat, about 8-10 minutes. Just keep turning the kebabs.