Shish Taouk is a popular Lebanese street food. Translated from Turkish it literally means skewered meat. Much like a shish kebab, shish Taouk or sometimes tawook is a flavorful roasted meat which has been marinated in spices. Shish Taouk can be served on either skewers or loose alongside pita and fixings. I prefer the pita and fixings, it makes for a much more interactive meal with a little more substance to it.
Full time: 3-24 hours (includes marinating time of a minimum 2 hours up to overnight)
Serves 2-4
You will need:
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed into bite size pieces
For Marinade:
1/4 cup plain yogurt
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground allspice
Let us begin:
In a large bowl mix all marinade ingredients except yogurt into a evenly blended paste.
Fold in yogurt until evenly blended.
Add chicken into bowl and fold until chicken is well covered.
Cover with plastic wrap and stick in refrigerator for 2 hours minimum or until next night.
Once marinaded, move chicken pieces to a baking dish in a single layer.
Preheat oven to 400, allowing chicken to sit while oven come to temp.
Cook in oven for 20 minutes.
Remove carefully from oven, drain out excess liquids and return to oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to rest for a good 5-10 minutes prior to serving.
Move to a serving dish and enjoy!
For a great fixing set up include: fresh slice lemons, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, black olives, roasted red peppers, and pita bread.
