Buttermilk Chicken Shish Kebab with Quick Lemon Pickle and Oregano

SERVES 2-4

100ml buttermilk

Half tsp ground cumin Quarter tsp cayenne pepper

1tsp sweet paprika

Quarter tsp ground cinnamon

2 garlic cloves, minced

2tbsp garlic or olive oil

1tbsp hot red pepper paste (biber salcasi)

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 1tsp salt

Quarter tsp coarse ground black pepper

Half onion, sliced

8 chicken thighs, deboned, skinned and quartered

2 green peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks

2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks

1 red onion, peeled and quartered 4 thin metal skewers, approximately 40-45cm long

TO GARNISH AND SERVE

Pitas or flatbread

2tbsp garlic or olive oil, plus extra to brush

1tbsp thinly sliced spring onion 1tbsp picked oregano leaves

12 confit garlic cloves 1tbsp quick-preserved lemon pickle (zest of 3 lemons sliced into thin strips, cooked in the juice of the 3 lemons for 12-15 minutes until tender, then cooled – makes 30g)

Garlic sauce Middle Eastern slaw (or standard coleslaw)

● Make the buttermilk chicken shish. Put the buttermilk, spices, garlic, garlic oil, hot red pepper paste, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper and onion in a bowl and stir together to combine.

● Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and massage the mixture into the chicken to ensure it’s evenly distributed and well coated. Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge for four to six hours or preferably overnight.

● Skewer the chicken pieces intermittently with the red and green pepper and the red onion. Set a barbecue up for singlezone, direct grilling (this basically means you place your meat on the rack directly above a large bed of burning coals; open the bottom vents if your barbecue has them) – ensuring that you are cooking on medium-hot embers.

● Grill the skewers directly over the burning coals, turning frequently to ensure both sides are well coloured and the chicken is cooked all the way through when checked with a knife (or to an internal temperature of 70°C or above when probed with a thermometer).

● Brush the pitas or flatbreads with a little olive oil mixed with a few drops of water, and warm through briefly on the grill. They can be placed directly on top of the skewers if there isn’t sufficient room in the barbecue.

● Remove the pitas and transfer to a serving platter. Place the skewered chicken thighs atop, brushed with olive oil. Scatter the spring onion and oregano leaves liberally over the skewers, along with the confit garlic cloves and lemon pickle.

● This kebab is great served with garlic sauce, coleslaw and pickles of choice.

● Deshell the prawns, leaving the heads and tails on for aesthetic appeal. Use a small knife to create a slit and cut out the vein that runs down the back of each prawn. Season the prawns with salt and pepper, toss them in olive oil, garlic, dill and chilli flakes, and put in the refrigerator to marinate for two to four hours.

● Make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based (preferably cast-iron) frying pan and gently saute the garlic

● While the prawns are grilling, have the pan with the pil-pil sauce set on the outer edges of the barbecue or grill to warm through.

● Once cooked, transfer the prawns to the pan of pil-pil sauce and finish with the lemon juice. Garnish with the basil leaves and serve immediately. Some lightly grilled bread of any sort will be needed to mop up the pan juices.