PHOTO: HEATHER CARSTON
WHEN time isn’t your friend, these amazing chicken kebabs are worth their weight in gold.
Their simplicity is in the fact you can use whatever is on hand, whether it is capsicum, onion, pineapple, cherry tomato – anything goes as an addition to both add great taste and make it look terrific.
It will also go a long way in the meat department – two chicken breasts will easily feed a family of four or five.
The marinade is important – and you can put it together the night before, the morning before you got to work, or an hour before you are ready to cook, although obviously, the longer the better.
The chicken needs to be cut into uniform sizes – this is to make sure it cooks evenly and shallower cuts are not overdone.
In using skewers, metal ones are good for chicken because the heat conducted through metal helps the chicken cook from the inside out, whereas wood does not conduct heat and you need to take a little more time with them.
Just be careful in using metal ones as they can take a while to cool when handling.
And I have to say – I use a large flat toasted sandwich maker, which often doubles as a frypan on the road. It works well in cooking these.
Ingredients Marinade 1tbs oil 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tbs soy sauce 2 tbs Balsamic vinegar 3 tbs brown sugar OR honey 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce 2 cloves minced garlic Salt and pepper to taste 2 chicken breasts 1 red onion 1 green capsicum 1 red capsicum Oil to slightly coat cooking pan surface
Method Place marinade ingredients into a bowl and combine really well. Cut chicken breasts into uniform 2cm square pieces. Put into the marinade and mix well – best to use a resealable plastic bag, so you can shake it around from time to time.
Take onion and peel layers cutting 2cm square pieces from each layer. Slice the capsicum into 2 cm square pieces.
Thread the meat, onion and capsicum (and whatever else you might be using) alternately onto the skewers.
Cook each side for about four or five minutes a time until the chicken starts to have that grilled brown look. Make sure it is cooked throughout.
