Meliz Berg’s Chicken Kebabs
Try your hand at this classic Turkish-Cypriot chicken kebab dish with a sweet red pepper, pomegranate and honey marinade from Meliz Berg's debut, Meliz's Kitchen
From the book
Meliz’s Kitchen: Simple Turkish-Cypriot comfort food and fresh family feasts
Comforting and easy go-to meals for busy family life
From breakfasts and traditional stove-top dishes to barbecue recipes and crowd-pleasing desserts
A celebration of the melting-pot of delicious spices and fresh flavours that make a Turkish-Cypriot kitchen
Introduction
I often make these kebabs together with my Kuzu Şiş (Lamb Kebabs). Marinating the chicken like this really does help to infuse the flavours into the meat, while also keeping it tender. I prefer using boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets (instead of chicken breast) as the dark meat retains so much more moisture than breasts when cooked; however, feel free to use whatever you prefer. Serve in Kıbrıs Pidesi (Cypriot Pitta Bread) or with Domatesli Bulgur Pilavı (Tomato Bulgur Wheat Rice) and Hummus (Chickpea & Tahini Dip).
Ingredients
| 1 kg | skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets, cut into 7.5cm chunks |
| For the marinade: | |
|---|---|
| 4 tbsp | thick set natural yoghurt |
| 1 heaped tbsp | Turkish sweet red pepper paste (tatlı biber salçası) |
| 1 tbsp | finely chopped fresh parsley leaves |
| 1 tbsp | olive oil |
| 1 tbsp | pomegranate molasses |
| 1 tbsp | clear honey |
| 1 tsp | salt |
| 1 tsp | black pepper |
| 1 tsp | pul biber |
| 1 tsp | paprika |
| To serve: | |
| 1 tsp | dried oregano |
| 1 tsp | fresh lemon juice |
| 1 tsp | extra virgin olive oil |
Essential kit
You will need: 4–6 long metal skewers.
Method
For the marinade, mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl or plastic storage box. Add the chicken pieces, coat in the marinade, and chill for at least 4 hours in the fridge (or overnight if possible).
Thread the chicken pieces on to 4–6 long metal skewers snugly, but not too tightly, to ensure that all the pieces cook evenly.
On the Barbecue
Light your barbecue. Make sure that the coals are mostly white and at a medium–hot, steady heat before cooking.
Cook for around 20–25 minutes or until the dark thigh meat is cooked through yet still tender with lightly charred, crispy edges. Turn the skewers regularly. If there is some marinade left in the bowl or plastic storage box, baste the chicken halfway through the cooking time.
To serve, mix together the dried oregano, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl and brush over the freshly cooked kebabs.
Under the Grill
If you don’t have access to a barbecue, preheat your grill to a medium heat.
Line a baking sheet with foil and lay the skewers across it, trying to balance both ends of the skewers on the raised rim of the baking sheet. Cook the kebabs under the preheated grill for 15–20 minutes (see above), turning every few minutes so they cook evenly. Spoon the delicious juices that have collected in the base of the baking sheet over the kebabs at the end of the cooking time and brush over the dried oregano, lemon and oil mixture before serving (see above).
