Lemony Moroccan Chicken Kebabs
- kosher salt
- 2 lemons
- for the marinade:
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- pinch saffron threads
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
- 6 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 1/8-inch-thick slices peeled fresh ginger
- 1 tsp. dried marjoram
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. light brown sugar
- 2-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbs. olive oil
- for the kebabs:
- 2-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-i
- 1 sweet onion (like vidalia), cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
- for the yogurt-lemon sauce:
- 1 seedless cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
- Carbohydrate 14.3890903106293 g
- Cholesterol 21.2333333512829 mg
- Fat 5.60276933785256 g
- Fiber 2.34056075588449 g
- Protein 6.67552775491488 g
- Saturated Fat 3.45742257789491 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (253g)
- Sodium 108.349494510762 mg
- Sugar 12.0485295547448 g
- Trans Fat 0.375764841910994 g
- Calories 121 calories
Step-by-step
- Cut four deep, lengthwise gashes, equally spaced, into each lemon. Put the lemons and garlic cloves in a small microwavable container. Cover and microwave on high until the lemons are soft and juice has exuded from them, about 4 min. (If not soft, continue to microwave in 30-second intervals). Strain the juice into a small container and let the lemons and garlic cool briefly. When the lemons are cool enough to handle, separate them into sections. Scrape the pulp and most of the white pith away with a spoon; discard. Put the scraped lemon peels, garlic, lemon juice, and remaining marinade ingredients in a blender and purée to make a coarse, soft paste. Set 2 Tbs.aside to use for the yogurt sauce.
- Put the chicken into a 1-gallon zip-top bag; scrape in the remaining marinade. Massage the bag to coat all the chicken pieces and marinate for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
- Build a medium-hot charcoal fire or heat a gas grill to medium high. Dump the chicken into a bowl, but don’t scrape off any excess marinade. Put the onion and peppers in the marinade bag and massage them to coat with the marinade (it’s fine if the onion pieces break apart). Transfer to another bowl. Thread the chicken onto skewers, positioning a piece of onion and pepper between the pieces of chicken. If there’s extra pepper or onion, thread them onto separate skewers, if you like.
- When ready to grill, oil the grill grate. Grill the kebabs over direct heat (uncovered for charcoal; covered for gas), turning the skewers every 2 to 3 min. until the chicken is firm and shows no redness when cut into, about 10 to 15 min. Check several pieces of chicken to be sure.
- Combine the reserved 2 Tbs. marinade with the cucumber, cilantro, yogurt, and 2 tsp. salt. Mix well. (Make the sauce no more than an hour before serving or it will be too watery).
- Remove the chicken and vegetables from the skewers and serve them in a mound with the yogurt sauce on the side
Marinating poultry containing high levels of citrus requires strict time management, because acid breaks down protein fibers rapidly. Leaving boneless chicken thighs submerged in a heavy lemon marinade for longer than two hours alters the texture undesirably, turning the outer millimeter mushy before cooking begins. Aim for a strict window of 60 to 120 minutes to allow the saffron, cumin, turmeric, and ginger to penetrate without degrading the meat. Cutting the meat into uniform two-inch chunks ensures equal absorption and prevents smaller pieces from overcooking on the grates.
Micro-steaming whole lemons breaks down their dense pith and softens the skin so that bitterness yields to concentrated juice and oil extraction. Poking four deep, lengthwise gashes into each citrus fruit before microwaving for four minutes forces the cells to rupture and release their interior liquids efficiently. Scraping away the remaining white pith with a spoon post-steaming removes the harsh compounds that normally sabotage citrus-heavy spice pastes. Blending these softened peels directly into the cilantro, garlic, and spice mixture builds a foundation of bright, complex bitterness that standard juice alone cannot replicate.
Thread the meat tightly onto flat or double-pronged metal skewers to prevent rotation when flipping over the direct heat of a medium-hot charcoal or gas fire. Round wooden skewers allow weighted ingredients to spin independently, resulting in uneven charring across the surface of the chicken and vegetables. Oil the grill grates thoroughly immediately before laying down the metal to prevent sticking, and turn every three minutes until internal firmness registers no remaining pinkness. Cooking typically spans 10 to 15 minutes, provided the fire maintains a steady medium-high output.
Stir the yogurt sauce together no more than sixty minutes before service to prevent the diced cucumbers from releasing excess water and diluting the dairy. Whole-milk plain yogurt provides the necessary fat barrier to balance the heat of black pepper and the sharpness of the reserved marinade paste folded into the bowl. Swapping whole milk for fat-free yogurt causes the sauce to break down rapidly into a watery pool once the salt draws out the cucumber moisture. Serve the accompaniments immediately alongside the freshly removed skewer components while the meat remains steaming hot.
