Ingredients
| ½ teaspoon saffron threads | |
| 1.2kg chicken nibbles | |
| 1 onion, grated | |
| 4 tablespoons lime juice | |
| 1 teaspoon salt | |
| ½ teaspoon pepper | |
| 4 tablespoons tomato paste | |
| 2 tomatoes, finely chopped | |
| 100g butter |
Mosen, our driver in Iran, has also owned restaurants and is passionate about food. He gave me his special chicken kebab recipe which I have recreated here. He always uses bone-in leg and thigh pieces, but I have used nibbles for ease; you could use boneless thigh, just cook for a shorter time.
Instructions
| 1. | Put the saffron in a small mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder. |
| 2. | Put the chicken nibbles in a bowl and add half the saffron along with the grated onion, lime juice, salt and pepper. |
| 3. | Mix well and leave to marinate for 2 hours at room temperature or preferably overnight in the fridge, turning occasionally. |
| 4. | Heat the barbecue to hot. |
| 5. | Put the remaining saffron in a small cup and pour over 50ml of nearly boiling water. |
| 6. | Cover with a saucer and leave to steep for 15 minutes. |
| 7. | Put the tomato paste and tomato in a small saucepan over a medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes until the fresh tomato has broken down. |
| 8. | Remove the chicken from the marinade and thread onto metal skewers. |
| 9. | Add the marinade juice to the tomato and bring to the boil. |
| 10. | Add the saffron and mix, then stir in the butter until melted. |
| 11. | Cook the skewers over the hot barbecue for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally until the chicken is cooked through. |
| 12. | A minute before you take them off, brush or spoon over some of the tomato to coat the chicken and grill for a further minute. |
| 13. | Set aside to rest for 5 minutes. |
| 14. | Serve the kebabs with the remaining hot tomato sauce. |
Recipes & food styling Fiona Smith / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Jessica Hemmings
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