Sporadic, Beautiful Things

For the Artistic & Discerning

Chicken Shawarma

Serves: 4 • Prep Time: 1 hr • Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 12 ounces Green and/or White Cucumber
  • Lettuces or baby greens
  • 1/2 Red Onion
  • 8 Cornichons
  • Parsley

Marinade

  • juice of 1 Lemon
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground Turmeric
  • 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
  • Pepper

Salad Dressing

  • juice of 1 Lemon
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 Tablespoons Honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground Sumac
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Tahini Cream

  • 1/2 cup Tahini paste
  • juice of 1 Lemon
  • 1 large clove Garlic
  • 1/8 teaspoon Salt

Instructions

  1. Combine marinade ingredients in a large, shallow dish. Add chicken breasts and coat them well. Let them marinate at room temperature while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
  2. Thinly slice the red onion and place it in a bowl of cold water. (Soaking the red onion in cold water takes the heat and spice out and makes them a crunchy, kid-friendly treat.)
  3. Clean the lettuces or greens and tear them into bite-sized pieces.
  4. Cut the cucumbers in half length-wise, then into 1/4 inch half-moons.
  5. Roughly chop the parsley.
  6. Thinly slice the cornichons.
  7. Wisk the salad dressing ingredients together in a large bowl. Toss greens, cucumber, onion, cornichons, and parsley to coat.
  8. Heat a Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Remove the chicken from the marinade and cook for about 6 minutes on each side, or it until it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Set aside to cool.
  9. Make a garlic paste for the tahini sauce by mincing the garlic on a cutting board, then sprinkle salt over the minced garlic. Drag a large knife at a 45 degree angle across the mixture until it forms a paste.
  10. To make the tahini cream, add the garlic paste to a bowl with the tahini and juice of the final lemon (whew!). Whisk 1/3 cup of warm water in, a little bit at a time, until the sauce is pourable. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  11. Slice the chicken breasts thinly, the place them atop generous piles of salad and top with the tahini cream.