michelle picker cooks

Deborah made this delicious marinated chicken which we cooked over hot coals and served with flat bread and salads. What a feast! The chicken marinade and accompanying sauces come from another fabulous Yotam Ottolenghi recipe.

Use 8 boneless chicken thighs with the skin on – pat them dry with paper towels. Make the marinade in a large bowl by combining 2½ tablespoons of lemon juice, 3 small crushed cloves of garlic and 20g (¾ oz) of finely grated ginger. Over medium heat, in a dry frypan, toast ¼ of a teaspoon of ground turmeric, ¾ of a teaspoon of sweet paprika, 1½ teaspoons of ground cumin, ¾ of a tablespoon of sumac, ¼ of a teaspoon of ground cardamom and ¾ of a teaspoon of Ras el Hanout (a spice blend available at Middle Eastern stores) until they smell fragrant. Add them to the marinade along with 1 teaspoon of salt and ¾ of a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Place the chicken pieces in the marinade, add 5 tablespoons of olive oil and 25g (0.8 oz) of chopped fresh coriander (cilantro). Massage the mixture into the chicken then cover and leave in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours or overnight. If you don’t have charcoal you can cook these thighs on a gas BBQ or a griddle plate in a hot oven.

From the same recipe, Deborah made Zhoug and tahini sauce plus her own yoghurt garlic sauce. Make the Zhoug in a small food processor. Add these fresh ingredients roughly chopped: 35g (1¼ oz) of coriander (cilantro), 20g (⅔ oz) of parsley and 3 green chillies. Add ½ a teaspoon of ground cumin,  
¼ of a teaspoon of ground cardamom, a pinch of caster sugar, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of water and a ¼ teaspoon of salt. Pulse a few times to make a thick paste. For the tahini sauce use a small food processor or blender. Add 2½ tablespoons of lemon juice, 100g (3½ oz) of tahini, 15g (½ oz) of roughly chopped parsley, 1 small clove of crushed garlic, 90ml (3 fl oz) of water and a pinch of salt. Blitz until completely smooth with a consistency like honey.