Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma

Amarante

Sun, May 10 2015, 11:18 am

Oven-roasted Chicken Shawarma
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Here is a recipe for an oven-roasted version of the classic street-side flavor bomb usually cooked on a rotisserie.

Delicious with Zankou Garlic Sauce - see recipe below

Ingredients:

2 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
A pinch ground cinnamon
Red-pepper flakes, to taste
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 large red onion, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Prepare a marinade for the chicken. Combine the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and red-pepper flakes in a large bowl, then whisk to combine. Add the chicken, and toss well to coat. Cover, and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425. Use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to grease a rimmed sheet pan. Add the quartered onion to the chicken and marinade, and toss once to combine. Remove the chicken and onion from the marinade, and place on the pan, spreading everything evenly across it.

Put the chicken in the oven, and roast until it is browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to rest 2 minutes, then slice into bits. (To make the chicken even more crisp, set a large pan over high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then the sliced chicken, and sauté until everything curls tight in the heat.)

Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with tomatoes, cucumbers, pita, white sauce, hot sauce, olives, fried eggplant, rice — really anything you desire.

Zankou Chicken's Lebanese Garlic Sauce (copycat)
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Summary:

"The BEST garlic sauce on the planet can be found at Zankou's Chicken. Those who know this place know their recipe is a very closely-guarded secret. Serve with a Lebanese (or other Mediterranean) chicken (or beef) dish like Excite Me Tonight! Chicken!. Also great with chicken or beef shawarma. I lined pita shells with this sauce and loaded them up with chicken, lettuce, tomato and roasted peppers and onions. Just make sure you aren't coming face to face with anyone for the next month or so... WHEW! Garlic!"

Ingredients:

3 small russet potatoes (or one large)
1 head garlic ( 12-14 cloves. It's a LOT. Be afraid.)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil

Directions:

Peel the potatoes and boil in water until soft. Mash and let cool.

Crush and peel a whole head of garlic. Cut into quarters. Place raw garlic in a heavy duty blender with the salt and lemon juice. Pour a light layer of oil onto garlic. Puree the garlic, salt lemon juice on high and begin pouring a slow steady stream of the rest of the oil through the blender's handle hole until everything has mixed.

At this point, you'll have extreme garlickiness (new word), which some people like, but for "texturizing" like Zankou's, you'll need the taters.

Add the mashed potatoes, about 2-3 tablespoons at a time and mix. Continue adding/blending potato until the sauce is mixed well. At some point in this process, you might consider changing blending vessels. After all this work, my blender was starting to think twice about helping me out. Food processor would work if you dribble the onion in slowly so that it emulsifies properly like mayo or aioli.

Transfer to a bowl and allow to chill completely in the fridge. After about an hour, the flavors will blend together nicely and the texture will take on that library paste consistency like Zankou's sauce. This sauce had the consistency of frosting. The starch from the potato when pureed gets a pasty texture.

Notes:

Don't add too much of the potato mixture because you don't want garlic mashed potatoes - you want something with the consistency of library paste.

Make sure the potatoes are completely peeled, with any green or brown discoloration is removed.

Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft, then mash to a smooth consistency. Allow to cool.

Pour the oil into a measuring cup with a spout to allow for easy administering.

Place the peeled garlic cloves, salt and half of the lemon juice in a blender. Be sure to secure the lid.

Turn the blender on high, and slowly stream the oil through the hole in the lid until the mixture combines into a smooth consistency.

Pour out the garlic "mayo" into a bowl

Add the mashed potatoes to the mixture 2 tablespoons at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until it's the consistency of loose, mashed potatoes.

Add the remaining lemon juice a little at a time until the tartness tastes balanced to you.

Cover the bowl, and chill the sauce completely.

Temperature will affect how salty foods taste. Adjust the salt after the sauce has cooled.