Chicken Shawarma With White Sauce

From:  Natural Foods Cooking instructor and author Pamela Salzman.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Chicken Marinade

• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 2  teaspoons kosher salt (do not use iodized table salt)
• 2  teaspoons ground cumin
• 2  teaspoons paprika
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cinnamon (or more)
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne (or more if you want it to be spicy)
•  fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat

• White Sauce

• 2⁄3 cup  plain whole  Greek yogurt
• 1⁄3 cup mayonnaise
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1⁄8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon paprika
•  fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

• The Rest To Taste

•  lettuce
•  olive, green and black
•  tomatoes
•  cucumber
•  tahini
•  feta cheese
•  parsley
•  pickled vegetables
•  red onion

Directions

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a non-reactive bowl (like glass or Pyrex). Add chicken and toss to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or in the refrigerator for several hours or up to overnight.
2. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 400 degrees or a heat grill to medium heat. Note: At this point, I season with additional kosher or sea salt.
3. Grill until cooked through, about 7 minutes on each side, or bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 35 minutes until cooked through. If chicken was baked, you may slice it thinly and sauté the slices a warm pan with coconut oil or olive oil to get some crispy edges. You don’t have to do this step since the chicken is already cooked, but the crispy edges somewhat mimic traditional shawarma shaved off the spit. I also like to sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt, too.
4. Slice thinly and serve with desired accompaniments.
5. White Sauce:  Mix ingredients all together in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be made 1 day in advance. Stir before serving.