Joojeh Kebab

"The marinade for this grilled chicken recipe, like every recipe in the book, is personal to Nosrat. "If I don't have a deep relationship with it, and I haven't made it countless times over the course of years and years and years," she says, "it wasn't going in the book." It's essentially a descendant of her beloved buttermilk-brined roast chicken -and a tribute to the Persian kebab restaurants she grew up visiting in Southern California. Saffron, onion, lemon juice, tomato paste, black pepper, and yogurt work together to tenderize the meat and create the signature balance of acidity, sweetness, and umami that defines so many Persian chicken kebab recipes."

"No grill? No problem. Just lay the marinated thighs on a foil-lined baking sheet and slide them under the broiler on high heat until charred and cooked through. Serve the saffron chicken with raw or lightly grilled tomatoes and warm lavash (baste it with olive oil and sumac for bonus points). Any leftover garlicky labneh is a gift. Nosrat recommends enjoying it with vegetables, fish, crudités, chips, crackers, or pita-basically, everything."

Whole boneless chicken thighs replace cubed kebab pieces for faster preparation without sacrificing flavor. The marinade combines saffron, onion, lemon juice, tomato paste, black pepper, and yogurt to tenderize meat and balance acidity, sweetness, and umami. The marinade grows from a buttermilk-brined roast-chicken approach and echoes Persian kebab flavors. Marinated thighs can be grilled or broiled on high until charred and cooked through. Serve with raw or lightly grilled tomatoes and warm lavash brushed with olive oil and sumac. Garlicky labneh makes a flavorful accompaniment, and the chicken pairs well with vegetables, fish, crudités, chips, crackers, or pita.

Read at Epicurious