799. Sheesh Tawooq

The MENA Cooking Club hosted Lebanon a while back and I was unable to participate at the time.
I have participated in several MENA challenges, including Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Malta, and most recently Morocco. My choice for Lebanon is Sheesh Tawooq.
Sheesh tawooq (شيش طاوق) is basically a chicken kebab that has been marinated in a spicy yogurt mixture overnight, skewered, and grilled. Popular accompaniments include grilled tomato and onion, french fries, and ofcourse, the whipped garlic sauce is a must.

Ingredients

2 lbs of skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes
1 cup lemon juice
15 cloves of garlic, crushed
6 Tbsp plain yogurt
6 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
⅓ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground thyme
⅓ tsp paprika
1 tsp tomato paste
Lebanese Garlic Paste, to serve

Method:

Mix all ingredients together, tossing well to fully coat the chicken.
Place in a container, cover, and let marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Skewer the chicken right before grilling.
Grill on medium heat for 12-18 minutes until cooked through.
As soon as you remove them from the grill, place them in a big warm pot, replace the lid tightly, and let rest for 8-10 minutes. This helps the chicken become more moist (this step is optional)
To serve: spread 1 teaspoon of the garlic paste along the diameter of a pita bread, add some salted cucumber pickles, french fries, grilled tomatoes or peppers (optional), the grilled chicken shish tawook, roll as in a burrito and enjoy.
You could also toast the sandwich roll through a panini grill for 2-3 minutes.

 صحة و عافية