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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