Turning away from the Main Street, walking down the streets of Brick Lane, you see restaurant after restaurant mostly Indian, Lebanese food, with a sprinkling of Asian restaurants here and there. We had landed in London a little before lunch and decided to leave our hotel to explore a few lunch options. We were dismayed to find that many of the restaurants were still closed, however the still, quietness of the streets was fascinating and calming at the same time. Deciding that we would “window” shop and look at menus to hopefully return another day, we stumbled upon a small little corner store, with open doors and a man carving from a large vertical spit. The smell of the spices and roasted shawarma meat was phenomenal.

Everything about shawarma is in the meat. Typically a mix of lamb, chicken is my favorite. Every store makes it slightly differently, but the combination of the creamy garlic sauce/tahini with fresh vegetables, a warm pita just makes this utterly delicious. While it is a common street-fare in London and across other European countries, it is rarely found in Hong Kong and less common in the US. Personally, some of the best shawarma I’ve had has been in Europe (Spain and London) and I have not found anything quite like it anywhere else. As I thought about how I could recreate these flavors at home, I stumbled upon a video of how to make shawarma which used a layering method in a loaf pan to create the experience of thinly sliced meats form a rotating rotisserie. IT was rather ingenious and definitely an easy at-home substitute.

I decided to give it a go at home and it TURNED OUT PHENOMENAL.  I love love love this homemade version of shawarma. It hits the spot when I have those carvings for shawarma. Best of all its made with store cupboard ingredients that I have at home. My personal tip is – If you let the meat rest/marinate the flavors are better AND its more tender (the reaction of the baking soda). I can’t think of anything more exciting than enjoying shawarma for a family lunch/picnic – a cool alternative for hots summer day picnic that would surely impress.

Serve it with a fresh salad.  I love adding tomatoes, pickled onions,  dairy free  yogurt sauce, cucumbers and fresh dill!

Nadiya's Chicken shawarma

 

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Author: Unconventional Cooks

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 1 lb of chicken breast
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• 1¼ tsp cayenne pepper (must not omit)
• 1¼ tsp cumin
• 1¼ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• extra salt and pepper at the end (if needed)
• HOW TO SERVE: romaine lettuce, pickled red onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, yogurt, lemon & fresh dill!

Instructions

1. Slice your chicken pieces into large strips (about 2.5" x 1"; a large chicken breast would yield 6 pieces). Make sure you have relatively even pieces.
2. Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade. Rub over the chicken. You can let it marinate for a few hours or cook it immediately.
3. Preheat oven to 350F.
4. Take a loaf pan (9"x5"), line it with parchment paper or oil well. Layer your marinated chicken evenly in a loaf pan. (also tried doubling this recipe and putting it in a 8 x 8 pan). Make sure the chicken is packed down.
5. Bake for 25-30 mins, or until just cooked.Each oven is different so I would check earlier to ensure they are not overcooked.
6. Remove and let the meat meat rest for 10 mins. Take a large dish/tray and place it on top of the chicken loaf pan. Carefully flip the chicken onto a board/large plate lined with foil ( easier clean up) carefully - juices will spill. The whole container should come out nicely.
7. Use a sharp knife, starting from the corner, carve chicken slices, cutting down across multiple pieces of layered chicken!
8. HOW TO SERVE: Serve this over a bed romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, pickled red onions, dill, cucumber and some dairy free yogurt! Season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice!

3.5.3251

LOVE,

Zoe, Mia & Raena