Shish taouk plate

Before you start

• a stick blender or a mortar and real patience for the toum — it is an emulsion and it will not come together being stirred in a bowl
• skewers and a grill or griddle
• marinate at least 2 hours ahead

Ingredients

Serves 2 · dimmer marks are storecupboard

• 350gchicken breast — in 3cm cubes; thigh works and stays juicier
• 100gnatural yoghurt
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 2pita breads
• 8garlic cloves — six of them are for the toum
• 2lemons
• 1 tsptomato purée
• 2peppers and onion
• 2 tsppaprika, oregano and allspice

Method

6 steps

1. fold · 8m

   Chicken cubes turned through the yoghurt, two crushed garlic cloves, lemon, purée, spices and half the oil.

2. rest · 2 hours walk away

   Two hours in the fridge, or overnight. The yoghurt is doing more than the lemon here.

3. blend · 10m

   Toum: the remaining garlic pounded to a paste with salt, then the rest of the oil added a thin thread at a time with lemon juice, until it turns white and stiff.

4. chop · 5m

   Peppers and onion into pieces the size of the chicken so they cook in the same time.

5. grill · 14m

   Threaded and grilled hot, turned as each side chars. Chicken must be cooked right through — cut one cube open and there should be no pink and clear juice.

6. finish · 4m

   Bread warmed on the grill, toum spooned beside rather than over, lemon on the table.