Herbed Garlic Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki

As the days are warming up and getting longer, grilling season is officially here. Concurrently, our edible garden is coming alive and ushering in the season of fresh herbs in everything we cook. We plant a lot of herbs, and we eat a lot of herbs. These chicken skewers, which make a great centerpiece to backyard entertaining, are exuberantly flavored thanks to the abundance of chopped fresh herbs. Served with a cool and zesty tzatziki sauce, this dish will transport you to an ocean-cliff villa in the eastern Mediterranean.

Ingredients:

6 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in 2-inch pieces

2 cups buttermilk

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced

2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced

Coarse ground black pepper and Kosher salt

1 sweet onion quartered

1 to 2 sweet peppers, cut into 2-inch chunks

1 lemon, zest, and juice

1 ½ cups whole milk Greek-style yogurt

1 English cucumber, grated

2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced

1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

For chicken marinade combine buttermilk, 2 cloves of garlic minced, paprika, rosemary, sage, thyme, 1 teaspoon of salt, all of the lemon zest and half the lemon juice with the chicken pieces in a large mixing bowl. Toss to mix all ingredients. Cover with plastic and let marinate for at least one hour, and up to overnight in the fridge.

While chicken is marinating make the tzatziki. Place grated cucumber in a strainer over the sink, sprinkle with salt and let drain for a few minutes. In a small mixing bowl, combine yogurt, dill, mint, olive oil, one garlic clove minced, and the other half of the lemon juice. Gently squeeze out excess moisture from cucumbers then add to yogurt mixture. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and chill in fridge, can be made up to a day in advance.

Place bamboo skewers in a shallow dish, cover with warm water and allow to soak for 30 minutes. When skewers are ready, remove chicken from marinade and build skewers, alternating chicken with pieces of sweet peppers and onion segments. Place prepared skewers on a tray and leave on the counter to bring to room temperature while you prepare grill. Heat grill to medium-high heat. Oil grill and cook skewers on grill for 5-7 minutes per side, or until fully cooked. Place cooked skewers on clean serving platter and cover loosely with foil tent. Allow chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. To serve squeeze fresh lemon juice over top and season with a finishing flourish of sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Serve with tzatziki on the side.

Notes:

This is another dish that leaves plenty of room for your own interpretations. Play with fresh herbs you like to use. Fresh oregano, tarragon, chives, or basil would all be excellent choices. If you don't have access to fresh herbs, you can substitute dried herbs using one teaspoon dried herb for one tablespoon fresh herb.

Mixing in different dried spices is another way to play with the flavors. Dried cumin or coriander would be lovely with the lemon. Dried sumac would give the dish more of a middle eastern flavor profile, while crushed red chili flakes could boost the heat.

As they do in the Mediterranean, serve this as part of a mezze spread with lots of bright salads, flatbreads or rice, olives, and hummus. I served it recently with a chilled salad of pearl couscous with kale pesto and snap peas, along with pickled (Mama Lil's) peppers on the side.

Fire up your grills, and as they say before a meal in Greece, kalí óreksi! Enjoy.