Rob says: “This is a popular takeaway meal, especially after a big night out. Often the shawarma kebab is laden with sauces, usually shop-bought and full of thickeners, flavourings and preservatives. The meat used here is thigh, and you can create this at home with the right spice blend and a hot grill. This sauce is an adaptation of my classic tahini dressing with added yoghurt; it works really well with red onion and pomegranate seeds.”

Ingredients

Serves 4

8 large skinless and boneless chicken thighs
Juice of 2 lemons
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried chillies
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Sea salt and black pepper

For the sauce:

1 batch of tahini dressing (see below)
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt

To serve:

4 wholemeal tortillas or wholemeal pitta breads
Thinly sliced red onion
Diced cucumber and tomato
Shredded lettuce
Pomegranate seeds (optional)

Method

Put the chicken thighs into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Add the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, spices, ½ teaspoon salt and some pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

Pour this marinade over the chicken thighs and rub together using your hands to fully coat the meat. You can also do this in a sealable bag if you don’t want to use your hands. Cover the bowl (or seal the bag) and place in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

While the chicken is marinating you can make the dressing.

Combine the tahini dressing with the Greek yoghurt and stir to combine, then chill in the fridge until ready to use.

Preheat the grill to medium-high and arrange the marinated chicken thighs on a grill rack or baking sheet. Grill for 10 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a board and slice.

To construct the shawarma, spread the tahini dressing over a wrap or inside a pitta, then add the chicken slices, salad and pomegranate seeds.

Notes

You can freeze the prepared chicken in batches and store in an airtight container for up to 9 months.

The grilled chicken will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days and can also be used to make a salad, which also works well with the tahini dressing.

Tahini Dressing

Ingredients

4 tbsp runny tahini paste
4 tbsp light olive oil
Juice of 1 small lemon
1 tsp honey or maple syrup
½ garlic clove, grated
6 tbsp warm water
Sea salt

Method

Place all the ingredients except the water in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Taste the dressing as sometimes lemons are super sour, so you may want to add another teaspoon of honey to balance the flavours.

Gradually add the water while whisking until the mixture becomes smoother. (You can also add all the ingredients to a food processor and blitz until smooth.)

Taste and season with a little salt.

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