Toyug kebabs (Azeri sour chicken skewers)

Half the world loves a kebab, and the other half just hasn’t got around to knowing them yet. The secret to a delicious Azeri chicken skewer is the souring agent, such as lemon juice or vinegar in the marinade. It seasons the dish and also tenderises the meat.

• makes

  10-12

• prep

  45 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 kg chicken thigh fillets
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 small brown onion, roughly chopped
• 1½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 pinch of sugar
• 20 long skewers

To serve

• 1 red onion, cut into thin rings
• ½ cup finely shredded coriander
• ½ cup finely shredded flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp sumac
• lemon wedges

Makes: about 20 skewers  

Marinating time: 2 hours

Instructions

Combine the chicken, olive oil, lemon juice, onion, salt, pepper and sugar in a non-reactive bowl and marinate for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.

Thread the chicken onto skewers. Grill over open coals on a barbecue (or on a grill pan) and transfer to a large serving platter, removing the meat from the skewers. Arrange in layers, scattering each layer generously with coriander, parsley, sumac and onion, season with a little more salt, and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.