Turkey Shawarma With Tomato Relish And Tahini Sauce Food

TURKEY PITA WITH CABBAGE, CUCUMBERS AND TAHINI DRESSING

Steps:

• Put cabbage and carrot in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, then toss with pomegranate molasses and 1/2 teaspoon garlic and set aside. Put cucumber in a separate bowl and season with salt and chopped mint.
• Make the tahini dressing: In a small bowl, stir together tahini, lemon juice, remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic and cayenne. Whisk in yogurt and season with salt and pepper.
• Put olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey and let sizzle. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander and red pepper flakes. Stir-fry for 1 minute and turn off heat.
• Warm pitas briefly in a toaster oven and cut in half to make 8 pockets. Spoon some warm turkey into each pita, then a spoonful of cabbage, a bit of cucumber, some sliced radish, if using, and a large dollop of tahini dressing. Serve 2 filled pockets per person.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA WITH TOMATO CUCUMBER RELISH AND TAHINI SAUCE

Steps:

• For the shawarma: Mix the cumin, paprika, allspice, chili powder and garlic together. Place the chicken inside a resealable plastic bag with the olive oil. Add the spice mixture and rub in until fully incorporated. Seal that bag and place it into the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
• After marinating, use the skewers to pierce the pieces of chicken through the center. Slide the pieces down leaving enough room for you to hold the skewer, about 3 pieces of chicken per skewer. Continue this process until chicken is all skewered. Sprinkle with salt and place on a hot oiled grill top for 4 minutes per side, or 8 minutes total.
• For the relish: Mix the oil, vinegar, oregano, tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, onion, parsley and some salt and pepper.
• For the tahini sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the tahini paste, olive oil, lemon juice and 1/4 cup water. Season with salt.
• To serve, fill the pitas with the grilled chicken and serve with the cucumber relish and tahini sauce.

TURKISH SHAWARMA RECIPE

Steps:

• Ok, let's start blooming our shawarma spices. Blooming is a great way to intensify your flavors.
• Grab a 1/2 tsp of fennel seed, cumin seed, coriander seed, ground cinnamon, allspice, cloves, smoked paprika and ground cardamom.
• Grind them down with a mortar and pestle.
• Roast (bloom) them in a non-stick pan or iron skillet. I prefer iron.
• Get your exhaust fan on high and/or open the windows. The aroma will envelop the house. Not a bad thing though.
• When everything is starting to smoke turn the heat off and remove the spices to a bowl.
• Your should be getting excited at this point. The aromas are intoxicating and of course I missed this part in my travels to Turkey since the dish went straight from kitchen to my mouth. I wish I had some process shots of that old woman. Ugh.
• Grab 4 TBL of goat or sheep yogurt and marry that with 1 TBL of tahini, 4 cloves of garlic, a couple bay leaves and a few drizzles of extra virgin olive oil.
• Buzz that in a CuisinArt or you can use an immersion blender.
• Pour the roasted spices into this mixture. Spin for a few seconds.
• Add 1 tsp of fine Kosher salt and 1 tsp cayenne pepper.
• Walaah. You have an authentic shawarma marinade / paste.
• Coat the boneless chicken thighs with this little bit of heaven and put in the fridge for a full day.