Chicken Souvlaki

You know you're a food writer when dinner guests bring prepared statements instead of wine. Andrew and his brother had a fine time critiquing the souvlaki meal I served on Sunday. These two would-be Seinfelds delivered their material with wide grins and mouths full. When asked what he thought of the chicken, Ian quipped, "I did not hurl."

The frightening thing is I actually wrote that down.

With no white wine in the house, an Australian shiraz accompanied the chicken. This time Andrew stepped up to the mike and said, "Normally, when I eat something like this I drink something red -- like cream soda." Thanks darling. Stick to academics and leave the comedy to the pros.

However, actions speak louder than words. There were no leftovers -- of the main course. The aggressive coffee ice cream was another matter.

Despite the recent frozen dessert defeats, I glued my shattered confidence back together with some successful barbecue main dishes. It's hard to go wrong with chicken, so I started there.

My research revealed most traditional souvlaki recipes rely on the same basic ingredients. Only the proportions fluctuated wildly. So here is my take on a Greek classic. Despite its Mediterranean roots, it fits nicely with the local food theme for this weekend's World's Longest Barbecue. I bought the lemons and olive oil at our neighbourhood Italian green grocers. That counts in my books.

For those who prefer red meat, I've posted a maple-whisky beef kebab recipe at the Accidental Hedonist. Vegetarians will have to make do with butter tarts. Sweet!

No Hurl Souvlaki
Printable recipe

Serves 4 (8 skewers)

Serve with tzatziki. *

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
• 2 tsp fresh lemon thyme, minced
• generous pinch kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large chicken breasts, cut in 1 1/2 inch cubes

Instructions

1. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water so they won't catch fire on the grill.
2. Whisk all ingredients but the chicken together.
3. Place cubed chicken in a glass dish, cover with marinade and toss to coat evenly.
4. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
5. Heat the grill to medium-high or about 350-375F.
6. Place 4 - 5 pieces of meat on each skewer (you want 2 kebabs per person).
7. Place on lightly greased grill and cook 3 to 5 minutes (time depends on how large you cubed the chicken).
8. Flip the kebabs and cook another 3 to 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through before removing from the grill. (Over cooking will make them dry, so keep an eye on them.)
9. Serve while hot with fresh tzatziki.

* Omit tzatziki for a dairy-free meal.