Traditional Souvlaki Recipes

SOUVLAKI

Steps:

• In a large glass bowl, mix together lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, oregano, and garlic; add pork, onions, and green peppers, and stir to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Thread pork, peppers, and onions onto skewers.
• Lightly oil grate. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or to desired doneness, turning skewers frequently for even cooking.

CHICKEN SOUVLAKI

Steps:

• Tip the chicken into a large bowl and add the marinade ingredients, along with 1 tsp salt and plenty of black pepper. Mix well, ensuring each thigh is well coated. Cover and chill for at least 3 hrs, or up to 48 hrs if you have time.
• A few hours before you want to eat, make the pitta. In a bowl, mix the flour, yeast, sugar and 1/ 2 tsp salt with your fingertips. Add 150ml lukewarm water and 2 tsp olive oil, and combine to a dough. Tip onto a work surface and knead for 8-10 mins (or use a tabletop mixer for 5 mins). Clean, then lightly oil your bowl, return the dough and cover loosely with cling film. Leave to rise for 1 hr or until nearly doubled in size.
• Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Roll out to circles, as thin as you can. Cover with sheets of oiled cling film and leave to rise for 15-20 mins.
• To make the tzatziki, halve the cucumber lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Finely chop, then combine with the remaining ingredients, along with a pinch of salt. Chill until ready to serve.
• Heat the grill to its highest setting. Line a roasting tin with foil and find 4 metal skewers long enough to sit across the top with a little space underneath. Remove the chicken from the fridge, take one thigh and thread it over 2 skewers, so it has a skewer through either side. Thread another piece of chicken on top, leaving a slight gap between each piece; you should fit 6 thighs on each pair of skewers. Position the skewers on top of the roasting tin and set aside while you finish the pittas.
• Heat a large frying pan (or two if you have them) over a medium-high heat and brush the breads with oil. Gently lift one into the pan. It should sizzle, and bubbles should appear on the surface after 1-2 mins. When the underside is golden, flip it and cook for another 2-3 mins. Continue until all the breads are cooked, wrapping them in foil as you go. Keep the bread warm in the bottom of the oven while you cook the chicken. Alternatively, cook on the barbecue for 5-8 mins, turning occasionally.
• Put the chicken under the hot grill and cook for 15-20 mins, brushing with oil and any juices from the bottom of the tin regularly, and turning halfway through cooking. Once cooked, remove from the oven and rest for 5 mins.
• Cut through each pair of skewers to make four kebabs and serve in the warm bread, with lettuce, tomato, red onion, lemon wedges and tzatziki.

TRADITIONAL SOUVLAKI

Steps:

• Mix together lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, oregano and garlic in a large container.
• Add Pork, onions, and peppers mixing well.
• Cover the mixture and put in refrigerator for 3 hours.
• Using skewers that have been soaked in water thread on peppers, onions, and meat.
• Preheat barbecue for medium.
• Lightly oil grate.
• Cook for 10-15 minutes, turning skewers often.
• Cook to desired doneness.

SOUVLAKI

Steps:

• Cut off any excess fat or membranes from the meat, then cut it into equal sized cubes.
• Toss the meat in a large bowl together with all the marinade ingredients, then refrigerate for a minimum of five hours (best overnight). Also, place the wooden skewers in a shallow container filled with water overnight.
• The next day, take the meat out of the refrigerator and first wait until it comes to room temperature and then skewer it.
• Grill the souvlaki over medium-high heat, about 3-4 minutes per side. Keep warm until ready to serve. Sprinkle the grilled souvlaki with lemon juice, salt, and Greek oregano.
• Serve just with bread, or inside a pita with tzatziki sauce and toppings of your choice.

AUTHENTIC PORK SOUVLAKI

Steps:

• Soak 8 wooden skewers in water for at least 1 hour.
• In a bowl, toss together pork cubes, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano, thyme, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
• Place 5 pieces of meat on each skewer.
• Lay on a hot grill and grill slowly (no flame) continuing to brush on marinade, until meat is done.
• Serve immediately in a pita, topped with shredded salad.
• For the shredded salad, toss the green leaf lettuce, onion, tomatoes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, and salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste in a large bowl, taste and adjust seasonings.

CLASSIC GREEK CHICKEN SOUVLAKI

Steps:

• Over a medium bowl, zest the lemon, making sure you do not grate any of the pith (white part of the peel). Add the juice of the lemons.
• Mince the garlic and add it to the bowl. Next, add the olive oil, oregano, spearmint, salt and pepper. Mix well. Reserve one third of your marinade to brush on your kebabs before serving.
• Cut the red onion into quarters, separate each one into 3 or 4 sections and then set aside.
• Cut the chicken in 1½-inch cubes and add to the bowl with the lemon, oil and herbs. Mix well to coat the chicken with the marinade, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-6 hours (another trick is to mix them all in a large, zip-lock-style bag, tossing regularly).
• Prepare a grill or set a grill pan over two burners and heat over medium-high heat. Loosely thread the pieces of chicken onto the skewers, alternating the chicken with sections of onion. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken kebabs with salt and pepper. Place the skewers on the hot grill and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, turning a couple of times, until the chicken has nice grill marks and is cooked through. Brush some of the reserved marinade on the hot kebabs and remove to a serving plate. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
• Place the pita on the hot grill until just heated through.
• To serve, cut the pita into wedges and arrange on the plater, alongside some tzatziki sauce (made with Fage yogurt), chopped red onions, cubes of Greek Feta cheese, grape tomatoes cut in half. Generously sprinkle with some dried oregano. Add the warm kebabs on the platter and serve right away. Enjoy a real Greek feast!