Prep and cook time 25 min ( excluding marinating time).
A healthy and pleasing blend of marinated grilled chicken or lamb, wrapped in pita bread is regarded as the Middle Eastern version of a wrap or a burrito.
In Amman, Jordan, throughout the day and late into the night you will find long rows of beat up pick-up trucks and taxi cabs alongside brand new 7 series BMWs and Mercedes 500s waiting to be served by a hole-in-the-wall Shawarma take-out place. Business tycoons, plumbers, electricians, career professionals and entrepreneurs are all united in a common craving for a warm, juicy and aromatic lamb or chicken Shawarma wrap.
Located in the Sweifieh neighborhood where we lived while Marcelle was assigned to the US Embassy, it was the owner’s unique marinade that made his Shawarma a legend.
This story is repeated daily throughout the Middle East because shawarma is a kind of “anytime” fast food that can be consumed as a snack, a lunch or a light dinner and even at three in the morning as a “stomach settler” after a late night of revelry.
A healthy and pleasing blend of marinated grilled chicken or lamb, Shawarma may be regarded as the Middle Eastern version of a wrap or a burrito. It is usually served in pita bread topped with tahini, hummus or toumiya (garlic) sauce.
Chicken rather than lamb is the quickest and easiest ingredient to use and I prefer chicken thighs to breasts because they have more flavor and remain succulent. I have not found an “original” or “definitive” marinade for the dish and have steered away from additives I saw in some recipes like mayonnaise which is a cultural travesty. Instead I have used the spices I like that includes a generous portion of sumac for color and a lemony flavour and the traditional flavors of cumin, five spices, coriander seeds and garlic. The recipe is however open to interpretation and you can improvise to your heart’s content.
Sharwarma meat is cooked on a rotating vertical skewer set against a heated gas filament. Failing that, you can get a respectable result from cooking the chicken indoors on a grill pan or seared in skillet. But don’t compromise on the important addition of tahini sauce (see recipe link) and if you are a real Shawarma enthusiast, the intense garlic sauce (see recipe link).
Once marinated, the chicken will take 5 minutes to cook and you can serve it in warm pitta wraps or plate it with a fresh salad.
MAKE AHEAD
- Marinate the chicken as per recipe below.
- Slice half a small red onion or large shallot in 1/8” thick strips and marinate in half a cup of red wine vinegar for at least 10 minutes.
- Make the Tahini sauce (see recipe) and the optional garlic sauce (see recipe) then set aside before you cook the chicken.
Chicken Shawarma
by
Derek Farwagi
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 large garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tbsp sumac
- 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
- ½ tsp ground cardamon seeds
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp five spices
- a pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Chicken
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1 a firm, medium sized tomato finely chopped
- 2 tbsp coarsely chopped parsley
- 1 large white flour pita bread or two small pitas
Condiments (optional)
- ½ medium sized onion or large shallot sliced
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag or bowl.
- Flatten the chicken thighs to an even inch thickness then slice thighs across the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices.
- Add chicken to the marinade and mix well.
- Marinate for as long as you can - overnight is preferable.
- Make tahini sauce and set aside.
- Finely chop the tomato and set aside.
- Coarsely chop the parsley and set aside
- Slice half the red onion, soak in half cup of red wine vinegar and set aside.
- Soak onions in red wine vinegar and set aside.
- Cut pitta bread along the circumference until you have two flat "disks".
- Once marinated, sear chicken pieces on a medium high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- To each "disk" add a layer of chopped tomato, marinated onions, a layer of parsley , a layer of chicken strips then lather everything with creamy tahini sauce then roll up.
- Serve with a salad and pickled vegetables (optional).
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