Shish Ta-Wouk (Middle Eastern Chicken Kebabs)

   

     I love to say the name "shish-ta-wook" as I feel so Middle Eastern-ly cultured when I do.  To simply say Lebanese chicken kebabs isn't as fun but it certainly gives you a better idea of what a "wook" is. It was an Iraqi officer many years ago in Jordan who explained which may be obvious to many, that the shish is the name of the skewer itself onto which the kabob is molded or speared (in his case - a seasoned ground meat). Cooked over hot charcoals that he fanned almost constantly is how this expert, born to the craft, demonstrated their preparation. Kabob are much better known in recent years with the proliferation of Persian and Afghan restaurants serving them.  

    My introduction to the version below was at the Marriott Hotel in Amman, which created a delicious rendition and it instantly became one of my favorite Arabic dishes.  The lemon and spices in the marinade Arabize the chicken with the warmth of zatar and allspice and the sparkle of lemon and set it apart from other chicken kebobs of which there are endless varieties. (Truth be told - I like them all.)  I appreciate the intense flavors without the heat of Afghani renditions, which allows you to enjoy bite after bite without looking for something to cool the palette down between mouthfuls!  But to each his own. With a nod to Lebanese cuisine as being the ultimate "ideal" of Middle Eastern food, there are various preparations of this chicken even within Jordan itself.  But you'll never go wrong ordering it off the menu.  And now that you know how to say it, you won't even have to look at a menu to order it!

Shish Ta-Wook:

4 chicken breasts, skinned, boned – cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 small onion, finely grated or juiced

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

3 tab. olive oil
3 tab. plain yogurt
1 tsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. ground turmeric

1 tab. zatar

1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. allspice

Sumac to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

         

     -Blend onion and garlic into the lemon juice, olive oil and
         yogurt.  Add spices and marinate the chicken pieces in
         the mixture for 2-4 hours, turning occasionally. 

     -Remove chicken from the marinade and thread loosely
         on skewers, 4 or 5 cubes on each.  Cook for 10-15 
         minutes under broiler or over barbecue brushing with 
         leftover marinade liquid a time or two.

     -Serve with grilled slivered onions, thickly sliced green 
         and red peppers and tomato halves sprinkled with salt
         and pepper and sumac.                                       

     -Condiments:  garlic sauce (toom), hummus or
         baba ghannouj.

                                        Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes

Marinate chicken for 2 -4 hours

Thread 4 - 5 cubes on each skewer

and place on rack set over cookie sheet

Sahtain!  (To your health!)

PERSNICKETY  NOTES:

     **Sumac is my favorite spice discovery of Middle Eastern Cooking.  (It's
the granular-looking dark red spice you see in the small bowl and sprinkled
on the chicken and vegetables in the pictures above.)  We first tasted it sprinkled on fattoush salad and wondered what the dark red pepper was.  
After encountering it on the Palestinian specialty, Musakhan, where it all but covers the chicken dish, I learned the name.  Sumac, not to be confused with poison sumac, comes from the berry of a flowering shrub indigenous to the Middle East and lends a bit of piquant, lemony pizazz to dishes.  It's a must-have in my kitchen and can be found in Middle Eastern Groceries or through Penzeys or Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Sumac-Spice-2-0-Zamouri-Spices/dp/B000FVMOW6/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=sumac&qid=1579654042&sr=8-4.

     **Truth be told, I have experienced many failures in attempting to make "toom", garlic paste like that served in Fakhr-al Din's in Amman, Jordan, our favorite Lebanese restaurant. We fell in love with it and always order french fries on the side in Arab restaurants to dip in the garlic paste.  Fahkr-al Dins serves an array of fresh uncut vegetables as an appetizer, with the toom on the side.  My favorite combo is slicing the tomatoes, spreading the garlic paste on top and sprinkling with salt, pepper and sumac. This video presents a great explanation of how to make it and what can go wrong - check it out for this indispensable side dip.  (It is possible to make half the recipe to try it out before you commit an entire quart of oil to the recipe.)  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ufDD773NQMY

Ingredients - (1/2 recipe)

1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves (sometimes you can find them already peeled -
        if they're fresh, go that route!)

2 - 2 1/2 cups vegetable, corn or canola oil

1 fresh lemon, juiced

1 tsp salt or to taste

Instructions

1. Before you start, ensure that all ingredients are at room temperature and your food processor is dry.
2. Add the garlic and salt to the food processor and pulse 4 or 5 times.  Stop the processor, scrape down the sides and run for 10-20 seconds longer until the garlic turns pasty.
3. With your oil and lemon juice ready and measured, turn the processor back on and keep it on until the end of the process.
4. While the food processor is running, start adding the oil slowly in a very thin stream or thread until you have used 1/2 cup.  Let the processor continue running for a moment and add 1 tsp. of lemon juice a bit at a time.  After adding the first half cup of oil you will start seeing the garlic emulsify and turn into a paste.  Let the processor blend for 30 seconds between adding oil and juice.
5. Continue the previous step with the remaining oil and lemon juice.  Do not rush the process.  Just continue to pour in the oil in a thin stream, followed by the lemon juice and let continue to blend after each addition.
6. Place "toom" in an airtight container but don't cover with a lid immediately.  Cover with a paper towel and place in the refrigerator for an hour or so to allow the mixture to cool completely, to avoid condensation to fall back into the paste, which will cause it to split.  Remove paper towel and cover with an airtight lid.  Paste can be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks.
7. 
   

     **Toom Shortcut:  Mix very finely minced garlic cloves (4-6) to taste with 1 cup prepared mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and sprinkle of salt.  Let chill for 30 minutes and serve.