Let’s kick off the BBQ season!

My first outdoor cooking memories are full of erratic British summers, Dad swearing at a barbecue that he couldn't put together, and eventually eating charred sausages, feeling brilliant!

Jamie Oliver

This week saw the first real sustained period of good weather this year so, it was time to dust off, or actually, de-rust the barbeque! I always like to try different things on the BBQ so, as this was the first of the year I decided to try something with a North African flavour so, I went for Harissa Rose & Sumac Kebabs! We had friends around and they went down a storm so, I thought I’d share the recipe with you.

This recipe uses chicken thighs that need to be marinated for at least eight hours so, best prepared the day before.

Ingredients

1.5 kg Chicken Thighs (Skinless and de-boned)

2-3 tbsp Harissa Rose Spice

1 tbsp Sumac

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

1 tsp Lemon Extract

1 tsp Rose Water (optional)

½ cup Olive Oil

30 ml Lemon Juice

First things first, mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and add the chicken thighs, get stuck in and mix well, cover it with cling film and bang it in the fridge for at least eight hours.

Temperature is important with this one, as it is with many BBQ recipes so, a few years ago, I invested in a fancy pants hybrid BBQ which uses gas and charcoal, now I know this upsets some BBQ purists out there but honestly, it’s one of the best investments I’ve ever made!

With any chicken thigh, breast or leg recipe I usually aim for a temperature of around 180 - 200°C before adding the meat, there’s nothing worse than biting into what looks like a lovely juicy chicken leg only to find it bloody inside – (insert vomit emoji) so, don’t throw it on too soon.

I really love cooking marinated chicken thighs in this way. The flavour always comes through and the meat is so tender and juicy but has those lovely charred and crunchy bits on the outside, yummy!

The ingredients above are, to be honest, a little tame, if you want to spice it up a little more, add an extra tablespoon of Sumac, it won’t blow your socks off but does give it that little extra heat!

With my fancy pants BBQ, I have a smoking box which I add a handful of Hickory chips to which really enhances the flavour.

To plate up, put a layer of salad on the pita then add your chicken. Drizzle the Saffron Yogurt over the chicken and then sprinkle over your Sumac Onions and Pomegranate Seeds (if using).

A nice simple but very tasty recipe to start the BBQ season, go on, give it a go!

What’s on this week?