Yemenite Chicken Thighs
So much of how good this grilled chicken recipe is, lies within the simplicity and the use of La Boite spices. It’s only a few ingredients, is super easy to prepare, and showcases traditional Yemenite flavors without the hearty soups, stews and breads the cuisine is known for.
Category
Main Course
Servings/Yield
4
Author
Zachary Engel, chef/owner of Galit
Ingredients
5 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
3 tablespoons kosher salt
-
2 tablespoons hawayej
1 head green or red cabbage
1 bunch scallions
-
1⁄2 cup tahini sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoons kosher salt
-
1 tablespoons Shabazi
Yemenite chicken
Zhoug Slaw
Directions
The day before (or even the morning before if you have the time), score the thighbones in the chicken. Take each chicken thigh and run a sharp knife down the bone along the meat, without piercing through the other side, in order to expose a little more of the meat around the thigh bone. Use a paper towel to wipe the pieces dry, which helps to get a crispier skin when grilling.
Put the thighs in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with salt and mix to coat evenly. Then season with the hawayej. Place each piece skin-side up on a baking sheet or large plate and refrigerate until you’re ready to grill.
Preheat your grill to have one side with high heat and one side very low or off. You’ll be cooking on the low heat side to start. If using charcoal, light all the coals together and then push them off to one side.
Shave the cabbage very thinly. It's easiest to use a slicer attachment on a food processor. Otherwise, cut the cabbage into quarters from top to bottom. Slice along the inner stem to remove it. Slice as thin as you can get it but be very careful! Peel back some leaves and do it in smaller batches if you need to cut less at once.
Thinly slice the entire scallion, green and white parts.
Add the cabbage and scallions to a bowl. Season with some of the salt and some Shabazi. Toss around and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and tahini sauce and mix well. The tahini may get clumpy. Mix a lot to spread it evenly throughout the slaw. Add additional salt or Shabazi if you want it a little more seasoned and/or spicy. Your call!
Before grilling, take your chicken thighs out of the refrigerator for about 15-30 minutes. Place them very flatly on the lower heat side of the grill, skin-side down. Don’t move them for 10 minutes. The skin will get crispy and they will release more easily from the grill towards the end. The meat should progressively look more cooked as you approach the 10 minute mark. Once you have only a little bit of raw chicken that is uncooked, using a spatula or a pair tongs, delicately lift the thighs and and flip the over to the hot side of the grill, meat side down. Finish cooking, it'll be about 2 minutes on this side. Let them rest for 1 minute on a clean plate or baking sheet.
Serve the chicken thighs with some of that zhoug coleslaw on the side.
Recipe Note
Here's more about Zachary Engel, chef/owner of Galit.
Questions? Contact helen@laboiteny.com
