For these succulent kebabs, tavuk (chicken), marinated in yoghurt, olive oil and spices, is threaded on to şiş (skewers). Often served with pilav and roast vegetables, they are popular throughout Turkey. My father, Orhan, was a lawyer with the Turkish government’s transport department, which has an employees’ lokanta (restaurant) in Ortaköy, İstanbul, with mesmerising views of the Bosphorus. I have very fond memories of enjoying tavuk şiş with my family there.
Tavuk şiş (chicken shish kebabs with roast vegetables – pictured top)
Prep 15 min
Marinate 30 min
Cook 45 min
Serves 3-4
560g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, excess fat removed, flesh cut into 4cm x 4cm pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp full-fat Turkish or Greek yoghurt
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp pul biber
Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the roast vegetables
130g sivri biber (mild Turkish chilli peppers), halved lengthways and cut into chunks or padron peppers, kept whole
2 medium red onions, each cut into 6 wedges lengthways
3 medium tomatoes, quartered lengthways
4 tbsp olive oil
For the cacik
400g full-fat Turkish or Greek yoghurt
145g cucumber, diced
1 tsp dried mint
Put the chicken in a large bowl, add the oil, yoghurt, dried oregano and pul biber, season generously, then use your hands to mix and coat. Cover the bowl, then leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight, if you can.
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Put all the vegetables on a large baking tray, drizzle over the olive oil and season. Use your hands to toss and mix to coat, then spread out the vegetables evenly over the tray in a single layer, so they’ll crisp up around the edges later.
Line a second large baking tray with baking paper. Thread the chicken on to skewers, leaving a 1cm gap between each piece so they cook evenly and are able to char. Arrange the filled skewers on the tray, spacing them 3cm apart.
Put both trays in the heated oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken and the vegetables are fully cooked and starting to char around the edges. Take the vegetable tray out of the oven and cover with foil so they keep warm.
Heat the grill to high. Turn over the chicken skewers, so the undersides are now facing up, then grill for two or three minutes, until nicely charred. Remove the skewers, and roll them up in the baking paper lining so they stay warm and moist.
While the chicken and vegetables are cooking, make the cacık. Put the yoghurt and cucumber in a bowl, stir in the dried mint, season with salt, then set aside.
Serve the kebabs, roast vegetables and cacık on the same plate, with the pilav below alongside.
Arpa şehriyeli pilav (Turkish-style rice pilaf with orzo)
Turks are passionate about pilav and it accompanies almost every meal. The texture of a pilav needs to be grainy – or “tane tane pilav”, as we say – and being able to make it properly is considered very important. Rinsing and soaking the rice in warm water is a crucial stage, because it helps get rid of excess starch and makes the rice granular. The inclusion of chopped vermicelli or orzo, first sauteed in olive oil or butter, adds texture and flavour. Short-grain baldo rice is the preferred choice in Türkiye, but when I’m abroad I often use the more widely available long-grain rice instead. Make sure to let your pilav rest, covered with either a tea towel or sturdy paper towel and a lid, for 10–15 minutes before serving – the towel will absorb any excess moisture and further help make the rice grainy.
Prep 5 min
Cook 30 min, plus resting
Serves 4
280g long-grain rice
Salt and black pepper
30g salted butter, or olive oil or a plant-based option, if preferred
55g orzo (gluten-free, if need be)
Rinse the rice under warm running water, until the water runs clear, then place in a bowl of warm water, add a pinch of salt and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
Melt the butter in a medium pan on a medium-high heat. Stir in the orzo and saute for three minutes, until it begins to turn a dark golden colour. Drain the rice, rinse under fresh cold water, then shake off the excess water and stir into the pan. Combine for a minute, so the grains get coated in the butter.
Add 510ml hot water, season with salt and black pepper, and stir again. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, then turn down the heat to low and leave to simmer undisturbed for 16-18 minutes. Turn off the heat, lift off the lid (the rice should be cooked and the water absorbed) and cover the contents of the pan with a couple of sturdy paper towels or a clean tea towel. Replace the lid and leave to rest for 10-15 minutes – the towel will absorb any excess moisture and make your rice grainy. Fluff the pilav with a fork, taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed, and serve.
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These recipes are edited extracts from Istanbul: Delicious Recipes from the Heart of the City, by Özlem Warren, published by Quadrille at £28. To order a copy for £25.20, go to guardianbookshop.com
