Kettle-braaied
chicken kebabs
The secret of these succulent chicken
kebabs is to use chicken thigh fillets with
the skin on rather than chicken breast fillets
that tend to dry out over the coals.
Makes 4 generous servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus 1 hour
marinating time
Cooking time: 15–30 minutes
- 20 chicken thigh fillets, skin on
MARINADE - 4 anchovies, chopped
- 5ml chilli flakes
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and
finely chopped - about 3ml turmeric
- a pinch of dried mint
- 60ml fresh mint, plus extra to garnish
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- about 60ml olive oil
- juice of 1 large or 2 small lemons, plus
a long strip of lemon peel
1 Mix all the ingredients for the marinade
and pour over the chicken. Set aside for
about 1 hour while you light the fire. You will
need moderate coals.
2 Thread the chicken onto wooden skewers
that have been soaked in water (this
prevents them from catching alight).
We used 5 thigh fillets per skewer.
3 Cook the chicken gently over moderate
direct heat in the kettle-braai with the lid on
for about 5 minutes; turn and braai for a
further 5 minutes (again with the lid on).
Baste with extra marinade and season with
salt and pepper to taste. Turn the meat
regularly until it is flame-grilled, cooked
through and crispy. I like my chicken well
cooked and thigh fillets are forgiving if you
keep them on the coals for a few extra
minutes. The braaiing time will be
determined by how well done you like your
meat, the heat of your fire and the size of
the kebabs – no one likes dry chicken.
Remember to let the meat rest for a few
minutes in the braai dish before serving.
I usually braai a few lemon halves with the
meat, which makes them easy to squeeze.
Sprinkle with extra mint and tuck in!Psst! Not in the mood for a braai?
Arrange the chicken kebabs on a baking
tray and roast about 15cm below a
preheated grill in your oven. Just like over
the coals, you must turn them regularly and
baste with sauce.Kataifi prawns
with tzatziki
Kataifi is the name of a syrupy Greek
dessert but also refers to the delicate
strands of phyllo pastry that are traditionally
used. Ask your local bakery or deli for this
pastry with its unique texture. It is usually
sold frozen; thaw slowly in the fridge
before using.Serves 4–6 as a starter
Preparation time: depends on how quickly
you wrap the prawns
Cooking time: super quick- 18 prawn tails, shelled and deveined
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- zest of 1 lemon
- about 200g kataifi dough
- 2 egg whites, whisked
- oil for deep-frying
- tzatziki for dipping
1 Thread the prawns onto thin kebab sticks- insert the stick from the tip of the tail
through each prawn so that the tail will be
left behind when you bite off the thicker
part. Season with salt, pepper and
lemon zest.
2 Roll open the kataifi dough. Using sharp
kitchen scissors, cut three or four 15cm-
lengths of a few strands each. This is just a
starting point because once you wrap the
prawns, you’ll have to work out how much
dough you’ll need for each parcel. Dip 3–4
prawns in the egg white until well-coated
and wrap them, one by one, in the thin
bundle of dough to form a parcel. Pinch the
end closed with the tail sticking out.
Repeat until all the prawns are wrapped.
Refrigerate until needed and freeze any
leftover dough for next time.
Tip You can do this labour-intensive
wrapping the day before; store the parcels in
the refrigerator.
3 Heat the oil for deep-frying until hot.
Test the heat with a piece of bread or extra
dough – once it floats and bubbles form
around it, the oil is ready. Fry a few prawns
at a time until the pastry is golden-brown
and crispy (it should not take more than a
few minutes; test one if you’re unsure).
4 Serve these crispy snacks hot or at
room temperature with a dipping sauce
such as tzatziki.[FENNEL SALAD]
Need to stretch this starter a bit?
Try this salad...
Using a sharp knife, cut 1 fennel bulb into
thin slices and mix immediately with about
15ml capers, a sprinkling of olive oil and
the juice of half a lemon. This will prevent
the fennel from oxidising and discolouring.
Add 8 sliced radishes, a thinly sliced green
apple and a handful of soft herbs like mint,
coriander and basil. >>Mediterranean flavours food