Palestinian Chicken Kebab Recipes

SHISH KABAB (MIDDLE EAST, PALESTINE)

Steps:

• In a food processor mix the fresh parsley, garlic, and onion and mix it until there are no clumps. The finer its chopped the better.
• Mix the ground beef with all the spices.
• Add the parsley mixture to the meat and mix well, making sure all the parsley is mixed into the meat as evenly as possible.
• Make pieces of meat that look like fat fingers and slide onto skewers.
• Either put on the grill and cook on each side until well done or put under the broiler on a piece of aluminum foil and cook each side until done.

MUSSAKHAN (ROAST CHICKEN WITH SUMAC AND RED ONIONS)

Steps:

• Slash the flesh of each piece of chicken diagonally a few times, around 3/4 inch apart, and then place the meat in a large bowl or plastic container. Add the lemon juice; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 1/2 tablespoons sumac; the garlic, cumin, allspice and cinnamon; and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Rub the mixture into the meat. Add the red onion and toss to coat. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator to marinate, 1 to 3 hours.
• When you are ready to cook the chicken, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Transfer the meat, onion slices and any juices to a baking sheet and roast until the juices run clear when the chicken pieces are pierced at their thickest part, about 40 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, cover the baking sheet tightly in foil and set aside while you prepare the toppings.
• In a small skillet, cook the pine nuts in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over low heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a paper towel to drain.
• To serve, heat the naan or taboon bread in the oven until toasted and warmed and transfer to a platter. Arrange the chicken and red onion on top. Finish with a smattering of pine nuts, sumac and chopped parsley. Drizzle any remaining roasting juices so they soak into the bread, then drizzle with a little more olive oil.

PALESTINIAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Rinse chicken under cold running water, drain and blot dry with paper towels; arrange breasts in a non-reactive baking dish large enough to hold them in one layer and set aside (I use a large, heavy-duty ziploc bag to marinate them).
• Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, and cloves in a small bowl and whisk to blend; pour over chicken and spread over breasts to cover completely.
• Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, 4-12 hours (the longer the better).
• Preheat the grill using indirect heat. See note below.
• When ready to cook, oil the grill grate; remove the chicken from the marinade and arrange, skin side down, on the hotter section of the grill. Cook until the skin starts to brown (3-5 minutes). Move to the cooler section of the grill and continue grilling until the skin is thoroughly browned (5-7 more minutes). Watch carefully and use tongs to move pieces away from flare-ups.
• Turn the breasts and move them back to the hotter section of the grill. Brown the second side well (3-5 minutes), then move them back to the cooler side of the grill to finish cooking. The juices will run clear when the meat is pierced.
• Note: If you are using boneless, skinless breasts, cook on direct med-high heat 4-6 minutes per side.

PALESTINIAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1. Rinse the chicken breasts under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Arrange the breasts in a nonreactive baking dish large enough to hold them in one layer and set aside.2. Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, and cloves in a small nonreactive bowl and whisk to blend. Pour the mixture over the chicken in the baking dish and spread it over the breasts to cover completely, using your fingers. Cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, 4 to 12 hours (the longer the better).3. Preheat the grill, using the two-tiered method.4. When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Remove the chicken breasts from the baking dish and arrange, skin side down, on the grate over the hotter section of the grill. Cook.5. Transfer the chicken breasts to serving plates or a platter and serve.Serves 4