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Halal Chicken
I just returned from a great vacation to Pennsylvania with my oldest sister and her family. In order to celebrate her birthday this year, her husband flew me out and sent us off to spend a couple of days in New York City. We had so much fun. Me being the foodie that I am, I picked the restaurants we were to eat at and she planned all of the touristy stuff. We went to Momofuku, Momofuku Milk Bar, Ruby Foo's, and Bouchon Bakery. What fun!!!!! Momofuku is the offspring of David Chang, a culinary genius and boundary pusher. His bowl of Ramen was a game changer for me.
Bouchon Bakery provided me with the best french macaron I could possibly imagine.
The funniest part of all this....the best food we ate was actually from a street cart. "The Halal guys" are apparently legendary New York street food and there's a reason. For a mere $6, you can get a lamb gyro (which we had) or a chicken and rice platter. The food is plentiful, hot and seriously good eats! On top of that, it's $6 in a city where a single beer can cost you $15.
On the drive back to Pennsylvania, I decided to Google the Halal guys gyro's. What I found instead was this recipe for their chicken. A week later, I made it for dinner and it is officially my new favorite meal. It's relatively fast (except for the chicken marinading), its SUPER flavorful, cheap and seriously TASTY! Sorry for all the caps.
A couple of notes:
After making this a couple more times, I've reduced the sugar in the white sauce. I like it better that way, but you can certainly do as you prefer.
I have cooked the chicken on both the bbq and broiled. It was by far the best taste when pan fried, but also the fattiest. If you want to compromise, I would pan fry, but not add any additional oil. There is enough oil in the marinade already.
I found that the sauce is really flexible. You can really add as much parsley as you want and you can adjust the lemon juice to your taste preferences.
Here you go!
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
1/4 Cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup light olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat (6 to 8 thighs)
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
For the rice:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 cups long-grain or Basmati rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (plus more to taste)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 large tomato, cut into wedges
Fluffy pocket-less pita bread, brushed in butter, lightly toasted, and cut into 1 × 3-inch strips
Directions:
For the chicken:
Combine the lemon juice, oregano, coriander, garlic, and olive oil in a blender. Blend until smooth. Season the marinade to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the chicken in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and add half of the marinade (reserve the remaining marinade in the refrigerator). Turn the chicken to coat, seal the bag, and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours, turning occasionally to redistribute the marinade (see Note).
Remove the chicken from the bag and pat it dry with paper towels. Season with kosher salt and pepper, going heavy on the pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed cast iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat until it is lightly smoking. Add the chicken pieces and cook without disturbing until they are lightly browned on the first side, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the center of each thigh registers 165°F. on an instant-read thermometer, about 6 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Using a chef’s knife, roughly chop the chicken into 1/2- to 1/4-inch chunks. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the remaining marinade, cover loosely with plastic, and refrigerate while you cook the rice and prepare the sauce.
For the rice: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the turmeric and cumin and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the rice and stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes without disturbing. Remove from the heat and allow to rest until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
For the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt.
To serve: Return the entire contents of the chicken bowl (chicken, marinade, and all juices) to the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. To serve, divide the rice, lettuce, tomato, and toasted pita bread evenly among four to six plates. Pile the chicken on top of the rice. Top with the white sauce and hot sauce. Serve immediately, passing extra sauce at the table.
Note: Do not marinate the chicken longer than 4 hours or it’ll get a mushy texture. If you must delay cooking the chicken for any reason, remove it from the marinade, pat it dry with paper towels, and refrigerate until ready to cook.
