Rick Stein Marinated Chicken For Souvlaki Food

CHICKEN SOUVLAKI WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, 2 cloves minced garlic, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large resealable bag. Add chicken, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Mix yogurt, cucumber, 1 tablespoon olive oil, vinegar, 1 clove minced garlic, and 1 pinch salt together in a bowl. Refrigerate tzatziki sauce for flavors to blend, 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Soak wooden skewers in a bowl of water for about 15 minutes.
• Remove chicken from marinade and thread onto the soaked skewers. Discard unused marinade.
• Cook the skewers on the preheated grill, turning frequently until nicely browned on all sides and chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 8 minutes per side. Serve with tzatziki sauce.

CHICKEN AND PORK SOUVLAKI

Steps:

• For the chicken and pork: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, oregano, salt, Aleppo pepper, black pepper and garlic.
• Place the chicken and pork into 2 separate mixing bowls. Pour half of the marinade over the chicken and the other half over the pork. Marinate, refrigerated, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Set up your grill for indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only.
• Remove the chicken and pork from the marinade, allowing excess to drain off. Keeping the chicken and pork on separate skewers, thread 4 pieces of meat onto each skewer towards the top and covering the tip of the skewer.
• Place the skewers on the direct-heat side of the grill to char on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Then move to the indirect-heat side of the grill, cover with the lid and cook until the chicken and pork are cooked through, about 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160 degrees F and the pork reaches 145 degrees F. Stack the skewers on a platter.
• For the onions and lemons: Drizzle the onions and lemons with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the direct-heat side of the grill. Cook the lemons until charred, about 3 minutes. Cook the onions until tender, about 3 minutes per side.
• Add the onions and lemons to the platter with the souvlaki. Serve with romaine, pita and tzatziki.

CHICKEN SOUVLAKI

Steps:

• Tip the chicken into a large bowl and add the marinade ingredients, along with 1 tsp salt and plenty of black pepper. Mix well, ensuring each thigh is well coated. Cover and chill for at least 3 hrs, or up to 48 hrs if you have time.
• A few hours before you want to eat, make the pitta. In a bowl, mix the flour, yeast, sugar and 1/ 2 tsp salt with your fingertips. Add 150ml lukewarm water and 2 tsp olive oil, and combine to a dough. Tip onto a work surface and knead for 8-10 mins (or use a tabletop mixer for 5 mins). Clean, then lightly oil your bowl, return the dough and cover loosely with cling film. Leave to rise for 1 hr or until nearly doubled in size.
• Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Roll out to circles, as thin as you can. Cover with sheets of oiled cling film and leave to rise for 15-20 mins.
• To make the tzatziki, halve the cucumber lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Finely chop, then combine with the remaining ingredients, along with a pinch of salt. Chill until ready to serve.
• Heat the grill to its highest setting. Line a roasting tin with foil and find 4 metal skewers long enough to sit across the top with a little space underneath. Remove the chicken from the fridge, take one thigh and thread it over 2 skewers, so it has a skewer through either side. Thread another piece of chicken on top, leaving a slight gap between each piece; you should fit 6 thighs on each pair of skewers. Position the skewers on top of the roasting tin and set aside while you finish the pittas.
• Heat a large frying pan (or two if you have them) over a medium-high heat and brush the breads with oil. Gently lift one into the pan. It should sizzle, and bubbles should appear on the surface after 1-2 mins. When the underside is golden, flip it and cook for another 2-3 mins. Continue until all the breads are cooked, wrapping them in foil as you go. Keep the bread warm in the bottom of the oven while you cook the chicken. Alternatively, cook on the barbecue for 5-8 mins, turning occasionally.
• Put the chicken under the hot grill and cook for 15-20 mins, brushing with oil and any juices from the bottom of the tin regularly, and turning halfway through cooking. Once cooked, remove from the oven and rest for 5 mins.
• Cut through each pair of skewers to make four kebabs and serve in the warm bread, with lettuce, tomato, red onion, lemon wedges and tzatziki.