Chicken Shawarma

one of the hardest parts about going to school out of state is all the michigan restaurants i miss while i’m away 🥲 today i did my take on the Amo Samis chicken shawarma and it was sooo good.

Chicken
3 pounds 6 oz (54 oz) chicken breasts or thighs, thinly sliced

Seasonings:
2 teaspoons zaatar
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice

Marinade:
8 garlic cloves
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup plain yogurt
lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Pita Bread:

dry:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
6 grams dry active yeast

wet:
3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons plain yogurt

Pomegranate Molasses:
32 oz 100% pomegranate juice

Toum:
6 oz fresh garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
~3 cups vegetable oil (i didnt really measure completely)

Red Sauce:
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup hot pepper paste
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

for assembly:
Red Sauce
pickles
toum
pomegranate molasses
homemade pita or store bought

Directions:

Shawarma Chicken:

1. thinly slice your chicken breasts or chicken thighs.

2. combine all your seasonings listed and set aside.

3. combine your marinade ingredients and blend.

4. add 3/4 of your seasoning blend and blend again.

5. coat chicken in marinade and marinate overnight or 2–6 hours.

6. after you cant wait any longer preheat your oven to 450 F.

7. spread chicken on a olive oil drizzled sheet pan in a thin layer.

8. cook for 20–25 minutes. broil the last 2–5 minutes.

Pita Bread:

1. combine your warm water, olive oil, and yogurt in a small bowl.

2. in a slightly larger bowl combine your flour, sugar, salt and yeast.

3. combine your wet and dry.

4. knead for 10 minutes.

5. place in oiled bowl and let rest/rise for 2 hours.

6. once your dough has doubled in size, punch down and flip onto floured surface.

7. shape into rectangle and cut into 6 squares.

8. pinch ends together (like in video) and roll into dough balls.

9. let rest for 10 minutes then roll out into large discs.

10. rest again for 10 minutes covered.

11. one by one, place rolled out dough into a skillet over medium heat. Continue flipping until dough is fluffy and has bubbled up a little bit (see video for example).

12. repeat with each dough piece.

Pomegranate Molasses (so simple):

1. in a sauce pot, pour your pomegranate juice.

2. let it heat up over medium heat.

3. it will continue to get thicker as you reduce it down.

4. continue reducing it until its a thick syrup like (molasses) consistency.

5. set aside in glass bottle or container.

Toum (Garlic Sauce):

1. in a blender add your garlic and salt.

2. pulse your garlic so it becomes a mince texture.

3. after first pulse add your lemon juice and blend again.

4. add your vegetable oil a little at a time and continue blending until its your preferred consistency and taste.

5. continue adding vegetable oil until the garlic isnt too strong for you.

Red Sauce:

1. in a sauce pan over medium heat, add your oil, tomato paste, hot pepper paste, ketchup and cayenne pepper.

2. cook down a little bit and continue mixing.

3. add in your water at the end to thin it out to more of a sauce.

Assembly:
Split your pita in half and stuff with chicken, toum, pickles, pomegranate molasses.
Roll up pita and spread red sauce all over shawarma.
“Sear” shawarma in hot pan with olive oil.
Once all sides are browned, remove from pan and wrap up with parchment paper and foil.
enjoy with more toum and pomegranate molasses!