Saffron Chicken Kebabs Recipes

Steps:

• Slice chicken crosswise into thirds (about 2-inch pieces). Using your fingers or a mortar and pestle, crush saffron with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then add 1 teaspoon hot water; let stand 1 minute. Whisk together lime and orange juices, zest, saffron mixture, sliced onion, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and oil. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag; add marinade. Seal bag and massage meat to fully coat. Let stand at least 1 hour, or refrigerate up to 1 day.
• Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking. Remove chicken from marinade; thread each piece onto two skewers, so it lies flat. Skewer tomatoes and onion wedges. Season everything with salt and pepper; drizzle with oil. Working in batches, grill chicken and vegetables, flipping once, until charred in places and cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per batch. Line a platter with lavash, then transfer cooked chicken and vegetables to platter. Sprinkle with sumac. Serve with radishes, mint, more lavash, and herb sauce.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk to combine yogurt, oil, lemon zest and juice, thyme, garlic, saffron, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Add chicken to yogurt marinade and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Thread chicken onto six 10-inch skewers and season with salt and pepper. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes per side. Drizzle with oil and serve with lemon wedges.

Steps:

• Using a mortar and pestle (or small bowl and the handle end of a wooden spoon), grind the saffron with the sugar to a fine powder (about 1/4 teaspoon). Transfer to a large bowl.
• Bring 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a kettle, saucepan or using the microwave, then let stand for 2 minutes to allow the water temperature to drop slightly. Add to the ground saffron powder, gently stir, cover and steep for 5 minutes.
• To the saffron water, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper; carefully stir to mix. Add the chicken and onion to the marinade and combine until well-coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours, turning the chicken pieces around in the marinade every once in a while.
• Prepare a charcoal grill until the coals are ashed over and still hot, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Skewer the tomatoes and peaches separately and set aside. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and skewer them. It's best to use flat, 1/2-inch-wide skewers or double skewers so the chicken pieces stay put when turned.
• Transfer the onion and any remaining marinade to a medium skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened and the skillet is nearly dry, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grill the chicken, basting with the butter and turning every 2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes on a charcoal grill and 15 to 18 minutes on a gas grill.
• Grill the tomatoes and peaches alongside the chicken: Grill the tomatoes, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until softened and slightly blistered, 6 to 8 minutes on charcoal and about 10 minutes on a gas grill. Grill the peaches, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until softened but not falling apart, about 10 minutes.
• If using lavash bread, drape on a serving platter. Place the chicken, tomatoes and peaches on the bread. (As the kababs sit, the bread soaks up the wonderful juices and becomes a highly sought-after bite.) Serve with the cooked onions, lime wedges for squeezing and sumac for sprinkling.

Steps:

• Mix yogurt, lemon juice, onion juice, olive oil, garlic, black pepper, and saffron together in a large bowl. Add chicken pieces to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken from marinade; thread through skewers. Discard unused marinade.
• Cook on the preheated grill, turning frequently, until golden brown on all sides and meat is no longer pink in the center, about 8 minutes per side.

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients in a nonreactive dish (or a resealable plastic bag), and marinate in the refrigerator between 3 hours and overnight.
• Once the chicken has marinated, discard the onions (or grill them on the side in a grill basket, or sauté on the stovetop, if you like), and thread the chicken onto skewers. Heat a charcoal or gas grill; the flame should be fairly low and the rack about 6 inches from the heat.
• Grill the chicken slowly, turning as necessary and basting with any leftover marinade, until it's browned all over, 15 to 20 minutes.