Saffron and Lemon Chicken Skewers (Joojeh Kabab)

What you need

• 900 g (2 lb) boneless skinless chicken thighs, or breast
• 1/2 tsp saffron threads
• 2 onions, grated
• 90 ml (6 tbsp) lemon juice, from about 2 lemons; some Iranian cooks also add 3-4 tbsp plain yogurt
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 40 g (3 tbsp) butter
• lavash or other flatbread, for serving
• 4 tomatoes, small, left whole, for grilling

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Grind the saffron to a powder with a pinch of salt in a mortar. Pour over 3 tbsp hot water and leave to steep for 10 min.

2. 2

   Cut the chicken into 4 cm (1 1/2 in) chunks.

3. 3

   In a large bowl, mix the onions, most of the lemon juice, the olive oil, half the saffron water, the rest of the salt and the pepper.

4. 4

   Turn the chicken in this marinade until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or up to 24 hours.

5. 5

   Light a charcoal grill and let it burn down to glowing coals, about 30 min, or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.

6. 6

   Melt the butter with the remaining saffron water and lemon juice in a small pan to make a basting mixture.

7. 7

   Scrape most of the onion off the chicken and thread the pieces snugly onto flat metal skewers. Thread the tomatoes onto separate skewers.

8. 8

   Grill the chicken, turning every 2-3 min and brushing with the saffron butter, until browned at the edges and cooked through, 10-14 min. The thickest piece should read 74 °C (165 °F) inside.

9. 9

   Grill the tomatoes alongside, turning now and then, until the skins blister and split, 8-10 min.

10. 10

    Slide the chicken off the skewers onto a sheet of flatbread and cover with another sheet to keep warm. Serve with the tomatoes.

Imported from iran-cuisine.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.