Sunday, February 14, 2010

Chicken, Preserved Lemon and Olive Skewers

chicken2

These skewers were the absolute hit of the Greek mezze platter. they honestly tasted better than they had any right to and were so simple to make that I suspect they’ll appear regularly in the Monkeyshines dinner rotation from now on.

I do think that it was key to have preserved lemons, so the only unfortunate thing is that you have to plan in advance, or just make it a habit to always keep preserved lemons on hand. The olives were also key, these were not bitter or overly marinated as some green olives can be.

The recipe made five small skewers, which was ample for the two of us along with all the other food, but can be very easily multiplied as needed.

1 chicken breast half, boned
3 oz. plain yoghurt
1 tsp fresh oregano
1/2 tsp lemon zest (I used fresh, but you could also use some preserved lemon)
1 clove garlic
10 green Greek olives (please don’t use martini olives), pitted
1/2 preserved lemon
5 skewers

If you’re using wooden skewers, put them on to soak before you do anything else, so that they don’t burn when you grill/broil them.

Cut the chicken into chunks about 3/4 inch square.

Mince the oregano and garlic, and add to the yoghurt along with the lemon zest. Add the chicken and mix gently to coat. Set aside and marinate for at least an hour.

Slice the preserved lemon into strips or wedges that are roughly 1/4 inch wide (wide enough to skewer without breaking) and 1/2 – 3/4 inch long.

When you’re ready, skewer one chunk of chicken, then a strip of lemon, followed by an olive, then repeat with chicken, olive and lemon. Repeat for the remainder of your skewers.

Grill or broil until cooked – about 12 to 15 minutes.

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