Chicken Shawarma and My Grill by Pete Evans

Cookbook #82 already?  Only 3 (or 4) years later and I'm still trying to make my way through all of these cookbooks.  It's a little odd that it's taken me so long since in actuality, each cookbook really only takes a little bit of time per recipe.  It's really the planning part that's lengthened the process...flipping through each cookbook to pick the recipe, planning the shopping list because invariably I choose the recipe with ingredients that don't live at my place and then finding the motivation after 9-10 hours away from home, to clean up a mess after I cook something.  I love to cook so it's definitely the mess that's the deterrent.  Just thinking of making a mess makes me grab that box of peanut butter Cheerios and call it a meal.  But that's not too bad because there are very few things that are as tasty as PB Cheerios.  Have you tried them yet?  Love them. Yes, total rabbit trail there. 

I picked up this cookbook on grilling back in Las Vegas before I even had my brand new grill.  I was initially drawn to Australian outdoor cooking part.  Australia is a country that gave us both Hugh Jackman AND Alex O'Loughlin which in my mind makes it a pretty perfect place. Surely the grilling had to be spectacular also.

The cookbook did not disappoint.  The book is full of gorgeous food porn photos, matte pages and a beautiful hardcover binding that doesn't seem to even need a dust jacket.  And the recipes...Crab and Sweet Corn Cakes, Miso Marinated Salmon, Malaysian Noodles, Thai Beef Salad and even a Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Baguette that the author calls one of the best sandwiches in the world. The photos and commentary alone made this cookbook look like a keeper, and the first recipe I made from it confirmed it.

Garlic Yogurt Sauce is as simple as it sounds--garlic and olive oil pureed and then mixed with yogurt and sumac. 

The tomato parsley salad added a bright clean flavor to the shawarma.  

And the chicken itself was so quick and easy since it's just tossed with a few ingredients before you heat the grill.  I opted to cut into pieces and grill on skewers to ensure the flavoring coated each piece but Pete's recipe calls for grilling the chicken in large pieces. He also called for boneless thigh meat and iceberg but I substituted breast meat and romaine.

Even though there are a few different prep pieces to this, the recipe came together rather quickly and was just as good as the shawarma we pick up for lunch sometimes.  It's definitely a make again and again kind of recipe. 

Chicken Shawarma with Yogurt and Garlic Sauce

adapted slightly from Pete Evan's My Grill

Ingredients:
3 tbsp lemon juice pinch of salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp ground coriander
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves minced
2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
6 white flatbreads
2 large handfuls shredded romaine lettuce

YOGURT & GARLIC SAUCE
8 cloves garlic
2 tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp sumac (a lemony spice used in Middle Eastern cooking)

TOMATO PARSLEY SALAD
3 handfuls fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 vine-ripened tomato, diced
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Soak skewers in water for at least 30 minutes
2. Combine the lemon juice, salt, oil, spices, and cilantro in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. 
3. Preheat the outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
4. Grill the chicken 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
5. Meanwhile, to make the yogurt and garlic sauce, combine the garlic, salt, and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Gradually add the oils in a thin, steady stream while the motor is still running, until the sauce has thickened; fold in the yogurt and sumac.
6. To make the salad, combine the parsley, tomato, and onion.
7. Place the flatbreads on the grill for about 5 to 10 seconds to warm slightly, then spread the yogurt and garlic sauce over them. Arrange the tomato parsley salad, lettuce, and chicken on top.