Shish tawook

Ottoman lemon-and-yogurt marinated chicken skewers: charcoal-grilled and served with garlic toum

Origin: Levant / Ottoman Empire

From the journey of Lemon.

Shish tawook, from the Ottoman Turkish şiş (skewer) and tavuk (chicken), is one of the defining grilled dishes of the Levant, a preparation that spread from the Ottoman palace kitchens of Istanbul across the entire Eastern Mediterranean and became a cornerstone of Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish, and broader Arab street food and restaurant culture. It is a dish of brilliant simplicity: chicken pieces marinated in yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and spices, skewered and cooked over charcoal, served with toum (the Lebanese garlic sauce), flatbread, and pickled vegetables. The lemon in shish tawook serves multiple functions. As an acid in the marinade, it begins the process of denaturing the surface proteins of the chicken, creating a more receptive surface for the yogurt and spice flavours to penetrate. As a flavour element, it provides the bright, clean acidity that balances the richness of the yogurt and the earthiness of the spices. The marinade's acid-and-dairy combination is one of the oldest and most effective chicken tenderising techniques known; yogurt in particular contains lactic acid and proteolytic enzymes that penetrate deeper than lemon alone. Shish tawook became widespread across the Ottoman Empire during the 16th and 17th centuries, as Ottoman culinary culture systematised and codified the kebab traditions it had encountered across its vast territories from the Balkans to Persia to the Arab world. The Istanbul version is slightly different from the Levantine version: the Lebanese and Syrian preparation typically includes tomato paste and more garlic in the marinade; the Turkish version is simpler. Both are excellent. In Lebanon, shish tawook is one of the defining dishes of the mezze-and-grill tradition: the sequence of small dishes, salads, flatbreads, and grilled meats that constitutes the classic Lebanese meal. It is eaten in every Lebanese restaurant from Beirut to São Paulo, from Sydney to Paris. The toum served alongside: a violently garlicky, snow-white emulsified sauce; is as essential as the chicken itself.

Ingredients

Chicken

1000 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4cm cubes

Marinade

150 g plain full-fat yogurt
2 lemons, juiced (approximately 60ml)
4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sweet paprika
0.5 tsp ground allspice
0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
0.5 tsp black pepper

To Serve

toum (Lebanese garlic sauce), to serve
warm pita or flatbread, to serve
pickled turnips, sliced tomato, fresh parsley, to serve
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Method

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, tomato paste, olive oil, and all the spices. Whisk together. Add the chicken pieces and toss thoroughly to coat every surface. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours; overnight (8–12 hours) is strongly preferred.
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Thread onto metal skewers, pressing the chicken pieces together firmly; they should touch but not be packed so tightly that steam can't escape.
Prepare a hot charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill or grill pan to very high heat. Grill the skewers, turning every 3 minutes, for 12–15 minutes total until cooked through and well charred in spots.
Rest the skewers for 2–3 minutes. Serve on warm flatbread, with a generous spoonful of toum, pickled turnips, sliced tomatoes, fresh parsley, and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Notes

Shish tawook is best on a charcoal grill, but a very hot cast-iron grill pan achieves a creditable result. The chicken can also be threaded onto skewers with alternating pieces of green pepper and red onion for a more colourful presentation. For a vegetarian version using the same marinade, substitute cauliflower florets (marinate for 2 hours minimum and grill until charred and tender, about 10–12 minutes). Toum recipe: blend 1 head of garlic with 1 tsp salt, then very slowly drizzle in 250ml neutral oil while blending, alternating with 3 tbsp lemon juice; exactly like making aioli. The result should be white, fluffy, and violently garlicky.

The Gastrographer

Name: Shish tawook
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 5 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Levant / Ottoman Empire
Ingredients: 1000 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4cm cubes; 150 g plain full-fat yogurt; 2 lemons, juiced (approximately 60ml); 4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 0.5 tsp ground allspice; 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.5 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; toum (Lebanese garlic sauce), to serve; warm pita or flatbread, to serve; pickled turnips, sliced tomato, fresh parsley, to serve; 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control