Chicken Adana kebabs with Turkish tomato salad

Telegraph

2 days ago

I love the simplicity of Turkish kebabs cooked over charcoal. Every time I make them – whether with lamb, chicken or offal – I'm taken back to my East End days, hanging out at Mangal Ocakbasi on Arcola Street. The tomato salad was another go-to: fresh, salsa-style and just as uncomplicated as the kebabs themselves. You can also skewer some wedges of red onion and long Turkish peppers to cook alongside the meat. They char up beautifully and make the perfect, smoky sidekick to those juicy kebabs.
Requires chilling time.
Overview
Prep time
25 mins
Cook time
10 mins
Serves
4
Ingredients
For the kebabs
600-700g chicken mince
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp sumac, plus extra for dusting
For the tomato salad
3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped, seeds and all
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped coriander
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Method
Step
In a bowl, mix 600-700g chicken mince with 2 tbsp chopped parsley, 2 tsp chilli flakes and 2 tsp sumac and season.
Step
Divide the mixture into 8 portions and mould around skewers (preferably long, flat Turkish kebab skewers to make long, slightly flattened kebabs). Transfer to a tray, cover and chill for 1-2 hours.
Step
Transfer to a large chopping board and dice all the ingredients together, using a large sharp knife. You want to ensure the salad is finely diced. Put it back into the bowl, stir in 1-2 tbsp olive oil then season to taste.
Step
Heat the barbecue or a griddle pan set over a high heat. If you are using long, flat skewers, you can remove the grill bars from the barbecue and rest the ends of the skewers on the edges of the barbecue to cook directly over the coals. Otherwise, place your kebabs on the grill bars or in the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the kebabs are nicely charred, firm to the touch and cooked all the way through.