Joojeh Kabab
Iran's saffron chicken kebab: thigh marinated overnight in yogurt, saffron, onion juice and lemon, grilled hot over charcoal. Served with chelo rice.
Overview
Saffron blooms in hot water. Onion grates fine and squeezes through a sieve to release juice. Marinade: yogurt, saffron, onion juice, lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper. Cubed chicken thigh marinates for 6 hours minimum. Skewered and grilled hot 4 minutes per side. Brushed with saffron-butter at the table.
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 kg boneless chicken thigh (cut into 4 cm pieces)
- 1 large pinch saffron threads
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 1 onion (large, grated, juice squeezed out - discard the pulp, use the juice)
- 250 ml plain yogurt
- 1 lemon (juice)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
To grill
- 8 cherry tomatoes (or 4 medium tomatoes halved)
- 1 lemon (cut into wedges)
Saffron butter (for finishing)
- 50 g unsalted butter
- Small pinch saffron threads
- 1 tablespoon hot water
Method
Stage 1 - Bloom saffron
- Crush saffron with a pinch of salt in a mortar.
- Pour over hot water; leave 10 minutes.
Stage 2 - Marinate
- Whisk saffron-water, onion juice, yogurt, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper in a wide bowl.
- Add the chicken pieces; turn to coat.
- Cover; refrigerate 6 hours, ideally overnight.
Stage 3 - Skewer
- Thread chicken onto long flat metal skewers, 4-5 pieces per skewer.
- Thread tomatoes onto separate skewers.
Stage 4 - Grill
- Heat a charcoal grill until coals are ashed over, or a gas grill / oven grill to high.
- Grill chicken skewers 4 minutes per side over direct heat - the surface should char in spots, the inside stay juicy.
- Grill tomato skewers 2-3 minutes per side until lightly charred and softening.
Stage 5 - Saffron butter
- Melt butter in a small pan; add saffron and hot water; stir 30 seconds.
Stage 6 - Plate
- Slide chicken off skewers onto warm chelo rice; pour saffron butter over.
- Place grilled tomatoes alongside; lemon wedges; a plate of fresh sabzi khordan (mint, basil, tarragon, spring onions) and bread on the side.
Notes
- Onion juice not chunks: Persian marinades use the juice. Grate, then squeeze through muslin or a fine sieve.
- Saffron quality: A pinch of good saffron beats a teaspoon of bad. Look for deep-red, dry threads. Spanish or Iranian.
- Flat skewers: Wide metal skewers keep the chicken from spinning when you turn them. Wooden skewers should be soaked 30 minutes.
Storage
- Marinated chicken keeps 48 hours raw.
- Cooked: 2 days refrigerated; reheat gently.
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