Souvla

Souvla

chicken thighs on charcoal, 45-60 min

Ingredients

Per skewer

chicken thighs   2kg
buttermilk       250g
salt             to taste
black pepper     to taste
dried oregano    to taste
baking powder    4g
lemon            1

Classic, add
ground cumin     to taste

Cypriot, add
coriander seed   to taste
ground cumin     to taste
cinnamon         pinch
allspice         pinch

Flavour bomb, add
Dijon mustard    2 tbsp
smoked paprika   to taste

Thighs with the bone in and skin on. Skewer across the bone, max 2kg per skewer.
Olive oil instead of buttermilk for a quicker version, marinate a few hours.
Tzatziki with the Cypriot, cosmic souvla sauce with the flavour bomb.

Flaky skin
Poke holes in the skin so the fat drains out. Run the fire hot and build the coals up at the end.

Recipe

1. Bag the thighs in the buttermilk with your chosen seasonings, no lemon. Push the air out. Marinate overnight, or freeze flat and move to the fridge two days before to thaw.

2. The night before, lift them out of the marinade, pat the skin dry and rub on the salt and baking powder. Leave uncovered on a rack in the fridge to dry the skin.

3. Light the charcoal 15-20 minutes before you want to cook. Wait for the white ash stage before putting the meat on.

4. Skewer the thighs across the bone through the thickest part of the meat. Alternate each piece facing opposite directions for even rotation on the foukou.

Rotate the skewer and check for any large pieces of skin flapping. Pin them down or cut them off.

5. Set the motor to its fastest speed. Run the fire hot and cook 45 to 60 minutes. Slide the pieces apart for the last stretch to crisp more surface.

You’ll know when it’s done, eyeball it.

6. Squeeze the lemon over only at the end. Acid earlier stops the skin crisping.