Homemade Chicken Shawarma

Working one at a time, start by laying your chicken thigh on what would be skin-side down, if they had skin, flat on a chopping board. Use a sharp knife to ‘butterfly’ the thicker parts of the thigh by slicing them horizontally and opening them out.

Next, cover the thigh with a sheet of clingfilm (you can use the same piece to do all of the thighs) and bash it with a rolling pin to flatten, as you would a schnitzel.

Place the flattened thigh into a large bowl and repeat with the rest.

In a separate bowl, add all of the ingredients for the marinade and then mix very well to combine. Pour onto the thighs and use your hands to mix the chicken very thoroughly. Cover and place into the fridge. Overnight is ideal but a few hours is okay, too.

Take one of your flattened, marinated thighs and place it flat on a chopping board. Use a sharp knife to slice it into strips about half a centimetre thick. Repeat with the remaining thighs.

Now the fiddly bit. Thread each end of the strips onto two skewers and repeat until you have filled them, it should look like a tightly packed ladder. Make sure you leave about 3cm of space at each end of the skewers.

I find it useful to have a clean plate or baking tray to place the sweepers onto as you finish each one.

Once your skewers are ready, it’s time to cook. Before you do, get everything else ready to go – set up your bread, pickles, sauces. Cook your oven fries according to package instructions, so that as soon as the chicken is ready, you can assemble and enjoy.

Pre-heat your grill to full. Place your skewers onto an oven dish so that the meat is suspended and each end of the skewer rests on the sides of the dish. The chicken will sag in the middle but once you cook it, the proteins will set and it will become level.

Place your oven dish as close as you can under the grill and cook for 5 mins, then flip and cook for another 5 mins. If your chicken is very thin and your grill is very hot, this should be enough to ensure some good colouring and that your chicken is cooked through. Check and if not, return for a few more minutes.

As soon as your chicken is done, remove from the oven and pop your fries back in to reheat quickly.

While the fries reheat, assemble the shawarma. Spread a generous layer of garlic sauce all over your bread. Top with the chicken, slices of pickle, parsley (and other salad if using) and drizzle with the chilli sauce. Add a handful of fries and finally, squeeze some lemon over the chicken, wrap it up and enjoy.