Chicken shawarma flatbreads

Name: Chicken shawarma flatbreads
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 chicken thigh fillets; 2 Tbsp olive oil; 1 Tbsp ground coriander; 1 Tbsp ground cumin; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp ground cardamom; 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped; 2 tsp salt; To taste freshly ground black pepper; 1 lemon, juice only; 6 Tbsp natural yoghurt; 1 lime, juice only; 8 Tbsp tahini; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; Handful chopped parsley (leaves and stalks); 4 large (or 8 small) flatbreads; 4 handfuls rocket; Handful mixed coriander, mint and parsley leaves; Sprinkle sliced red onion, pomegranate seeds

for 4 people

Photo / Martin Poole

By Lucy Lord

Lucy Lord's cookbook Cook for the Soul is all about delicious comfort. And this chicken shawarma dish ticks all the boxes.

Ingredients

8	chicken thigh fillets
2 Tbsp	olive oil

For the marinade

1 Tbsp	ground coriander
1 Tbsp	ground cumin
2 tsp	smoked paprika
1 tsp	ground cardamom
2 cloves	garlic, very finely chopped
2 tsp	salt
To taste	freshly ground black pepper
1	lemon, juice only

For the tahini yoghurt sauce

6 Tbsp	natural yoghurt
1	lime, juice only
8 Tbsp	tahini
2 cloves	garlic, crushed
Handful	chopped parsley (leaves and stalks)

To serve

4 large (or 8 small)	flatbreads
4 handfuls	rocket
Handful	mixed coriander, mint and parsley leaves
Sprinkle	sliced red onion, pomegranate seeds

Directions

Start by making the marinade. Dry-fry the spices over a high heat until aromatic, then tip into a bowl and allow to cool. Add the remaining marinade ingredients and mix together.
Use kitchen paper to pat the chicken thighs dry all over and then add to the bowl of marinade (or tip everything into a large ziplock bag). Use your hands to massage the spices into the thighs. Leave to marinate for at least 3 hours, or overnight
Combine all the tahini sauce ingredients in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons water, adding a little more water to thin if needed. Cover and chill in the fridge (up to 3 days in advance) until ready to serve.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Place a large ovenproof frying pan or griddle pan over a high heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the chicken pieces and cook until charred on the outside (you may need to do this in batches). Return all the chicken back to the pan and transfer to the oven for 6–8 minutes until cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the oven, wrap in foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes, before thinly slicing the chicken with a sharp knife. Drizzle any juices remaining in the pan over the meat.
Sprinkle the flatbreads with water and pop them in the oven for 3–5 minutes to warm up. Meanwhile, combine the rocket and herbs in a bowl.
Put everything on the table so people can help themselves; I like to spread tahini sauce on to a flatbread, then top with chicken, rocket and herbs, sliced red onion and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds.

Note
• Store any leftover chicken in thefridge for up to 3 days.
• Use gluten free flatbreads to make it GF.

Extracted from Cook for the Soul by Lucy Lord (HarperCollins, RRP $37.99). Photography by Martin Poole