I was listening to Terry Gross interview Sam Sifton of the New York Times on NPR about his new cookbook called “See You On Sundays”, a collection of recipes for serving groups of friends and family. Could there have been worse timing for a release during a quarantine? I felt so sorry for him I had to order the book. No doubt sales will pick up when life returns to normal, as it’s fun to read and full of interesting recipes.
Chicken Shawarma, also known as gyros, is usually cooked on a spit and is served all over the globe where there are Arab, Greek and Turkish immigrants. This is Sam’s home cook’s version, where a hot oven replaces the rotisserie. Chicken thighs are marinated and roasted, then served with pita and a variety of side dishes and condiments.
Famous British cookbook author Nigella Lawson adapted this recipe slightly for her “Simply Nigella” book, and said her crucial test was her son’s approval. “For awhile, we lived on what I could loosely call London’s Shawarma Strip, and my son went out nightly -after dinner if you please -for at least one shawarma. I proffered my version tentatively, and he pronounced in its favor.”
2 lemons, juiced (Nigella also includes the zest from both)
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. turmeric (Nigella substitutes 1/2 tsp. coriander here)
A pinch ground cinnamon
Red pepper flakes, to taste
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 large red onion, peeled and quartered
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
Prepare a marinade for the chicken. Combine the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika,, turmeric, cinnamon and red pepper flakes in a large bowl, then whisk to combine. Add chicken and toss well to coat. Cover and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
When ready to cook, heat oven to 425 degrees. Use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to grease a rimmed sheet pan. Add the quartered onion to the chicken and marinade, and toss once to combine. Remove the chicken and onion from the marinade, and place on the pan, spreading everything evenly across it.
Put the chicken in the oven and roast until it is browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to rest 2 minutes, then slice into bits. (To make the chicken even more crisp, set a large pan over high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then the sliced chicken and saute until everything curls tight in the heat.) Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with tomatoes, cucumbers, pita, white sauce, hot sauce, olives, fried eggplant, feta, rice -really anything you desire.
Serves 4 to 6.
Note: Nigella omits the onion, but it’s melting flavor I think adds so much. The second time I made this I added some peeled chunked up carrots to the marinade as well and they all roasted together perfectly. Served this with couscous and a green vegetable, and made a simple yogurt sauce with grated garlic, lemon and salt. Not authentic but we devoured every bite.
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