Mazeh Chicken Kabobs

Serves 4.

Mazeh means ‘taste’ in Farsi and is our interpretation of advieh, an essential spice blend in the Persian kitchen. It’s wonderful with chicken, as in this simple kebab recipe. Serve with basmati rice.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs

For the marinade

½ cup olive oil
½ lemon, juice and zest
1 lime, juice and zest
1½ teaspoons honey
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon Mazeh Spice
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 clove garlic, minced finely or grated on a microplane

 For garnish
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint, and dill

Cut the chicken into 1-inch wide strips. Put into a container or zipper bag. Set aside. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the marinade ingredients together. Reserve three tablespoons of the marinade; cover and set aside.

Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken and gently mix to coat all the pieces. Cover the chicken (or zip the bag) and marinate for a minimum of an hour, or overnight in the fridge. (Be sure to remove chicken from the fridge half an hour before you plan to cook it.) Preheat your grill (or grill pan) to medium-high. Divide the chicken between skewers.

Cook on the grill, turning every three to four minutes until the chicken is done and nicely browned (165º F internal temperature), 12–15 minutes.

Alternately, you can par-cook the chicken skewers on the grill to get the beautiful caramelized edges, then transfer them to a baking sheet. Cover the sheet and bake in a 350º F oven for 15–20 minutes.

To serve, mound the skewers on a platter, drizzle them with reserved marinade and scatter the herb garnish over them.