Turkish Chicken Kebabs With Aleppo Pepper Recipes

Steps:

• Whisk yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, ketchup, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, cumin, black pepper, paprika, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
• Place chicken thigh halves into the yogurt marinade and coat them thoroughly on all sides. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 8 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Using 2 skewers for each kebab, thread half of the chicken thighs onto each pair of skewers making a fairly thick "log" shape.
• Place kebabs on grill. Do not try to turn them until they begin to unstick from the grill, 3 or 4 minutes. Turn kebabs and grill the other side 3 or 4 minutes; turn. Continue cooking and turning until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 6 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Steps:

• If using Aleppo pepper, place in large bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon warm water. Let stand until thick paste forms, about 5 minutes. If using dried crushed red pepper and paprika combination, place in large bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons warm water and let stand until paste forms, about 5 minutes. Add yogurt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper to spice mixture in bowl; whisk to blend. Stir in garlic and lemon slices, then chicken. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Thread chicken pieces on metal skewers, dividing equally. Discard marinade in bowl. Sprinkle each skewer with salt, pepper, and additional Aleppo pepper or paprika. Brush grill rack with oil. Grill chicken until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer skewers to platter. Surround with lemon wedges and serve.
• *A slightly sweet Syrian pepper with a moderate heat level; available at some specialty foods stores and from wholespice.com.
• **A thick yogurt; sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores (such as Trader Joe's and Whole Foods markets) and Greek markets. If unavailable, place regular yogurt in cheesecloth-lined strainer set over large bowl. Cover and chill overnight to drain.
• Ingredient tip:
• Aleppo pepper is sold finely ground or crushed into small flakes; either one will work well in this recipe.

Steps:

• For tahini yogurt:
• Combine lemon juice, Baharat Seasoning, and garlic in medium bowl; stir to blend. Let stand 5 minutes. Whisk in yogurt and tahini. Season tahini yogurt to taste with salt. DO AHEAD: Can be made up to 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• For pomegranate relish:
• Mix all ingredients in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• For chicken:
• Whisk first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Add chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Marinate at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.
• Preheat broiler. Thread 6 chicken pieces onto each skewer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on small rimmed baking sheet. Broil chicken until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Arrange kebabs on platter. Serve with tahini yogurt, pomegranate relish, and warm pita breads.

Steps:

• MixAleppo peppers with 1 T. warm wter, let stand about 5 min, mix into a paste.
• Combine yogurt,olive oil, red wine vinegar,tomato paste, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoons black pepper in a bowl, stir in Aleppo paste, then sitr in garlic and lemon slices; reserve about 1/3 cup of marinade to glaze kabobs with during grill time, then stir in chicken; cover and chill at least 15-30 minutes.
• Remove chicken from marinade, discard marinade.
• Place chicken on skewers and grill,baste with reserved marinade, grill until golden brown and cooked through, Turn skewers occasionally 10-12 minute total.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine aleppo pepper, sumac, cumin, salt and pepper; whisk to blend and set aside.
• In a large bowl, add lamb and onion; mix well. Add spice blend and mint; blended all the ingredients before forming 4 equal sized balls. Roll each ball into a cylinder shape of about 8-inches long. Gently slide a skewer through the middle; tighten meat around the skewer. Place on a baking sheet while doing the others. Transfer to the refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Meanwhile make the sauce by combining all the ingredients. Whisk well, cover and chill until ready to serve.
• About 15 minutes before taking the kebabs out of the fridge, soak onion slices in very cold water for 12 to 15 minutes to remove the bite from the raw onions. Next thread tomatoes on a skewer and take naan bread out ready for the barbecue.
• Brush grates with oil and fire up the grill. When it reaches 450-500ºF, place kebabs, rotating every couple minutes, until evenly browned and slightly charred; cook for about 7-8 minutes. Remove from the BBQ and let them rest while grilling the other food.
• Place flatbread and tomatoes on the barbecue, grill for 1 ½ to 2 minutes before flipping the bread and rotating the tomato skewer; cook for another 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Remove the naan bread but leave the tomatoes for a couple more minutes. Serve with sliced red onion, parsley and yogurt sauce. Makes 4 kebabs.