Chicken Vegetable Skewers

This is a dish I love any time of year but evokes for me a feeling of summer. I prepare these skewers in the oven, under the broiler, but you can make them on the grill as well, if you choose. The ingredients are simple and should be to hand in your kitchen for the most part. You need wooden skewers for this (unless you’ve got metal ones!) which must be immersed in water for at least 20 minutes so as not to burn when you grill the skewers. One bite into these and you will be a fan! They are juicy, flavorsome and interspersed with veggies so all you need is some rice on the side for a delicious and complete meal.

I much prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this since they stay juicier than chicken breast since till the veggies get to their proper doneness, the breast meat can overcook but if you prefer slightly underdone veg then you can sub them out and broil for a shorter period of time.

Plunk your wooden skewers in water so they will absorb it and not burn too much in the broiler.

The most important part of this recipe is marinating the chicken and veggies in the marinade, so first prepare the chicken and veg to go in the marinade.

and cut them to go properly on the skewers like so:

Note that I left the smaller mushrooms intact, they will fit perfectly on the skewers and the peppers and red onion I cut to fit.

Now cut the chicken into chunks like so:

As you see below, the marinade is quite simple, balsamic vinegar, pomegranate molasses, (in a pinch, you can sub out the pomegranate molasses with lemon juice and honey although it’s not quite the same) soy sauce and olive oil. You also are adding chopped garlic and chopped ginger.

Place the marinade ingredients into two containers separating the chicken and vegetables and stir about leaving the chicken and veggies to sit merrily in this mixture. Just a note, this does not produce a large amount of marinade. That’s correct, just put your snap lid on and shake it about from time to time. It’s best if it sits about 30 minutes.

Chicken in marinade

It’s easier to thread the skewers with chicken then veg when the different ingredients are separated. Now take a baking sheet and line it with tin foil and start making your skewers.

I find using the mushrooms as “stoppers” so nothing slides off works well. Then add at intervals, vegetables and chicken as you like. I got approximately 10 skewers out of this.

Preheat your broiler to low broil and broil about 7-8 minutes on one side, turning over carefully when the vegetables get a drop charred and the chicken is browned to the other side and broil 6 more minutes approximately.

This pairs beautifully with rice, either plain or majeddrah Majeddrah, Lentils and Rice if you’re in the mood!

Chicken Vegetable Skewers

5 full Pargiot – boneless, skinless chicken thighs – cut into chunks

2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoon pomegranate syrup/molasses

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 cloves garlic peeled and sliced

1 chunk fresh ginger peeled and sliced

20 mushrooms washed and left whole (cut in half if they are giant)

1 large red pepper, washed and cut into large cubes

1 purple onion peeled and sliced into chunks

10-12 wooden skewers

Directions:

Place wooden skewers in water to sit for same time as chicken will so they won’t burn.

Prepare marinade for two separate containers so skewers will be easier to prepare, chicken in one, vegetables in the other, by putting one tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon pomegranate syrup/molasses, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, one clove garlic and half the chunk of ginger into each container and stir about. Place chunked veg in one and chunked chicken in the other, snap lids on and shake till coated. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Take a rimmed baking sheet and line with tin foil. Thread the skewers by starting with the mushrooms (they keep the rest of the ingredients from slipping off) and alternating veggies and chicken till done.

Preheat broiler to low broil and broil about 8 minutes on one side and 6-7 minutes on the other side till vegetables have light char and chicken is browned and ready. Serve with rice. A note, while this is best hot off the broiler, it’s surprisingly delicious reheated and I’ve often served it as a first course on Shabbat.