Chicken Shish
Chicken shish is way more than just a post-night-out staple. It is one of the tastiest ways to eat chicken breast IMO. Beautifully marinated in yoghurt, lemon, and spices, this results in really tender chunks of meat that are then perfect charred over a BBQ.

The word shish (or şiş in Turkish) means skewer, and shish kebabs are a big part of Middle Eastern cuisine, eaten all over the world including Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, and Iraq. In short, chicken shish is cubes of marinated chicken that are then skewered and grilled and usually served with a variety of accompaniments including rice, grilled veggies, and flatbreads.

In this recipe we call for urfa pepper - isot biber in Turkish. This is a store cupboard staple in our house after our friend and chef Sabrina Ghayour recommended it to us. It is incredible. Urfa pepper has a lovely fruity, smoky flavour and I highly recommend investing in the stuff.

This recipe was updated on 26 April 2021 with a new image.

MAKES:
4
PREP TIME:
0 HOURS 30 MINS
COOK TIME:
0 HOURS 25 MINS
TOTAL TIME:
0 HOURS 55 MINS
INGREDIENTS
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2.5cm cubes
150 g plain yoghurt
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. urfa pepper (optional)
Zest of half a lemon
1 tbsp. lemon juice
FOR THE COUS COUS SALAD:
200 g wholewheat giant Cous cous (but any cous cous is fine)
350 ml chicken stock
4 preserved lemons, finely chopped
10 mint leaves, finely chopped
6 spring onions, finely sliced
80 g pomegranate seeds
Salt and pepper, to season
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
TO SERVE
1 head little gem lettuce, leaves picked
4 pittas breads or flat breads, toasted

DIRECTIONS
Pre make the cous cous. Cook as per packet instructions using the chicken stock instead of water.
Drain the cous cous and mix through the preserved lemon, mint and spring onion. Set aside until plating up.
In a large bowl, mix together the yoghurt with the spices, grated onion and garlic, lemon juice and olive oil.
Add the diced chicken and mix well. Marinate for minimum 2 hours or ideally overnight.
When ready to cook heat your ridged grill pan or BBQ. If using the grill pan wipe a little oil onto the pan with kitchen roll to stop chicken pieces from sticking. Thread the chicken onto metal skewers.
Grill the kebabs for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally until charred and cooked through.
When ready to serve, spread the cous cous on a large plate and lay the kebabs across the top. Place the little gem lettuce around the outside of the plate and sprinkle over pomegranate seeds. Serve with flat breads and pickled peppers.