Moroccan Chicken Brochette
Chicken thigh meat marinated in rich middle eastern spices, grilled on skewers to perfection and served on warm pita with garlic sauce, cherry or grape tomatoes, Persian Pickled Turnips, dollops of Hummus, and labneh sprinkled with fresh mint, one of my favorite North African dishes.
Equipment
- 16 8" bamboo or metal skewers
Ingredients
Garlic Sauce
- 4 cloves garlic - finely minced
- kosher salt
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoon plain yogurt
Chicken
- 2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs - cut into 2" pieces
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ cup fresh flat leaf parsley - finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt
- vegetable oil for grilling
For Serving
- 8 pitas - warmed (15 seconds in the microwave)
- 2 cups tomato or grape tomatoes - halved
- Persian Pickled Turnips - optional
- homemade Hummus - There are plenty of great store brands to make your life a little easier, but homemade is the best.
- 3 tablespoon labneh - a soft cheese, similar in texture to cream cheese, made from strained yogurt
Instructions
Garlic Sauce
- Place garlic in a mortar; season with salt and pound to a very fine paste. (Alternatively, place garlic on a cutting board, season with salt, and mash with the side of a chef's knife.) Transfer garlic paste to a small bowl and gradually whisk in oil.
- Very gradually whisk yogurt into garlic mixture until emulsified. (Add too fast and sauce will break. If it does break, gradually whisk in 1 teaspoon water just before serving.)
- Do ahead: Garlic sauce can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
Chicken
- Toss chicken, garlic, parsley, cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl; season with salt. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
- Prepare grill for medium-high heat and oil grate. Thread chicken onto skewers. Grill, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 8-12 minutes. Serve with garlic sauce, pita bread, Persian Pickled Turnips, labneh, hummus, tomatoes, and mint.