Saffron & Lemon Chicken Kebabs

Saffron is a beautiful spice, unless you have white kitchen surfaces 🤣. It turns everything it touches into a radiant golden yellow and is therefore great to cook with. Derived from the flower of a crocus (Crocus sativus) only producing a few threads each and being hand-picked by real people, makes it quite precious. In fact, one of the world's costliest spices by weight. It is believed that saffron originated in Iran, just like this recipe for Persian Saffron & Lemon Chicken by Sabrina Ghayour. The key lies in marinating the chicken in yoghurt and lemon juice overnight, which makes the meat incredibly tender.

Recipe

Serves four people

4 onions, thinly sliced

juice of 5 lemons

4 tbsp olive oil

1tsp ground tumeric

400g greek yoghurt

2 tbsp sea salt flakes

generous pinch of saffron threads (alternatively saffron powder)

3 tbsp boiling water

6 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 5 cm pieces

Grind the saffron threads into a fine powder using a pestle and mortar. Pour over the boiling water and leave to infuse for a couple of minutes. It will turn deep orange.

Place the onions, lemon juice, olive oil tumeric, yoghurt and sea salt flakes into a large bowl and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and your infused saffron water and mix thoroughly. Cover and marinate in the refridgerator overnight. If you're in a hurry, you can marinate for a shorter period of time. But keep in mind that the process of marinating tenderizes your meat - patience really pays off here!

Preheat the oven or barbecue to the highest setting possible. Separate the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon or kitchen tongs. If using a barbecue, place them onto a heat proof griddle or pan. Alternatively, place them onto a large baking sheet lined with nonstick baking paper. Bake or grill for 18 to 20 minutes, until the edges are slightly charred, while the meat still remains moist on the inside.  Meanwhile, pan-fry the leftover onion marinade mixture to serve with the grilled chicken.

Serve with flour tortillas or flatbreads, a little side salad and extra yoghurt for dipping.