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Josh Katz's Saffron & Turmeric Chicken Thighs With Saffron Yoghurt, Burnt Lemon and Za'atar.






I love Josh Katz, the Berber & Q cookbook carries the multiple stains of a much loved and well used tome..... they describe their food as follows
'Our menus take inspiration from pretty much anywhere we can find it, but with a bias towards the ingredients and flavours of the Middle East, North Africa and across the Ottoman. We favour vegetables as much as meat and fish, we like our wines natural and our cocktails kick ass.
We cook over live fire because it makes food taste better. We love simple, honest cooking with loud colours and big, bold flavours.' 

If you like the sound of that then you'll love any of the recipes I post from this brilliant book.
Also if you are in and around shoreditch or Clerkenwell check out their restaurants which serve great food and drinks in a really fun and laid back atmosphere.
Here's a great example of his work, this recipe elevates a simple piece of grilled chicken into something way, way more interesting

The Ingredients
For the Chicken Thighs

·     2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
·     1 onion, coarsely grated
·     Juice of 2 lemons
·     1 tbsp ground turmeric
·     1 tsp ground cumin
·     1 tsp salt
·     Half tsp coarse ground black pepper
·     120ml saffron water (a pinch of saffron soaked in 120ml boiling water, infused for 15 minutes)
·     2 tbsp full-fat natural yoghurt
·     1 and a half tbsp vegetable oil
·     8 chicken thighs
·     1 red onion, sliced into 1cm rounds
·     1 lemon, sliced in to 0.5cm rounds
·     4 flat metal skewers, approcimately 2cm wide and 40-45cm long

For the Saffron Yoghurt

·     50ml saffron water (see above)
·     1 garlic clove, grated
·     160g Greek yoghurt
·     1 and a half tbsp lemon juice
·     1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the Garnish

·     Pita or flatbread
·     2 tbsp olive oil
·     1 tbsp pomegranate seeds
·     1 tbsp finely chopped parsely
·     Pinch of za'atar
·     Blackened Chili Kebab Sauce 

Method
For the Chicken Thighs

·   Put the garlic, onion, lemon juice, spices, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine. In a seperate bowl, combine the saffron water with the yoghurt and vegetable oil, and stir together until well mixed. Add the garlic and onion mixture to this bowl. Pat the chicken thighs dry and add them to the marinade. Massage the mixture into the chicken to ensure it's evenly distributed and well coated in the marinade. Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge for 4-6 hourd or preferably overnight. The flavours will intensify the more time it is given.

For the Saffron Yoghurt

·   Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Set aside in the fridge until required. The flavours will improve and the colour of the yoghurt will intensify with time, so it's best prepared at the same time as marinating the chicken. Whisk or stir the yoghurt one last time just before serving.

To Finish the Chicken

·   Set a barbecue up for single zone, direct grilling ensuring you are cooking on medium-hot embers. Weave the warinated chicken pieces on to the metal skewers, making sure the chicken is well affixed. Grill directly over the burning coals, turning frequently to ensure both sides are well coloured and the chicken is cooked all the way through when checked with a knife (or to an internal temperature of 70°C or above when probed with a thermometer). Meanwhile, blacken the onion and lemon slices on both sides
.
To Garnish and Serve

·   Brush the pitas or flatbreads with a little garlic oil mixed with a drop of water, and warm through briefly on the grill. They can be placed directly on top of the skewers if there isn't sufficient room on the barbecue grill.
·     Remove the pitas and transfer to a serving platter. Place the skewered chicken thighs atop, brushed with garlic oil, and drizzle the saffron yoghurt over everything. Top with the red onion and lemon slices, pomegranate seeds, parsley and za'atar. Serve with kebab sauce

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