The Feast: Part Four - Tandoori Chicken Skewers

          Tadoori Chicken Skewers are a famous appetizer that I hesitate to give away... due to the lack of actual tandoori ovens that are involved in the process. Therefore, removing the legitimacy of their name. BUT - saving grace -, the flavors are shockingly close to the real thing.

          When making these chicken skewers, it is best to use chicken thighs (even though chicken breasts are easier to put onto the skewer. Thighs will keep their moisture and flavor for longer periods of time and won't break the bank. Also, you can use thighs for recipes like the Red Wine Thighs (soon to come) in this series...

          Upon purchasing the thighs, you must de-bone them. You can have your local independent butcher do so, but he will then decide that you are useless in the kitchen and overcharge the world out of you. This is the last thing that you want. If this happens, he will then try to sell you meats that he claims are "local", "fresh", "unique" or "never frozen" and this will not be the case. These will also be sold to you at a premium price and you will leave feeling ripped off. Plain and simple: de-bone your own thighs.

          Thighs can be de-boned with a sharp knife and a separate cutting surface than what you use for slicing vegetables (let's keep it sanitary people). Locate the bone with your finger and slowly cut at the sides of the bone (where the meat runs up the sides) and separate the two. Once you can slide your finger under the bone, pull it away from the meat and skin while sliding your knife under and removing the bone. It may take a few times to do so, but you can find handy tutorials online. Make sure that you always check for cartilage and chewy pieces.

          Next, spice the chicken up with salt, pepper, red chilli powder, and lemon juice. Slice the thighs into THIN strips and begin placing onto skewers. This is the part where you may have to get creative. Folding the thigh meat onto itself, using multiple pieces, and leaving enough room for your fingers can be tricky enough to entertain you for an hour or two (tops). Marinate skewers overnight in:

Tandoori Sauce:
   6 tablespoons plain yogurt
   7 tablespoons heavy cream
   2 1/2 tablespoons ginger paste
   2 1/2 tablespoons garlic paste

(Or Minced Garlic)
 1 teaspoon ground cumin
   1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder

(Or Masala PC Sauce found at Loblaws)

   1 teaspoon saffron

          Note: Make sure that each skewer has at least some sauce on it.

         Once the skewers have marinated, heat a frying pan at medium-high heat and sear in butter. This is your chance to get a nice rich, brown coloring. Brown, not black, coloring will enhance the appearance of the plate. You may need to rinse out the frying pan a few times to avoid leftover burnt yogurt.  Once the chicken is seared, garnish with any combination of the following:

Salad Greens

Green Onions

Chives

Lemon Juice

Onions

Butter 

Yogurt

          I have garnished these skewers with a yogurt-cream-chive mixture and chiffonade salad greens. Later, I added more Masala sauce to the picture. It added that extra spice that was missing. Beautiful. 

          Don't miss any recipes in the series: Last weeks Brie and Roasted Pear Appetizer

Written By and Photo Credit: Jane Phillips