While the rain is keeping us all indoors here in the Western Cape during the height of Winter, I’m mostly in my kitchen preparing hearty dishes like stews and soups. But then a beautiful sunny day comes along, like today, and all I want to do is pretend that I live in the Mediterranean and eat tapas-style food!
We’re having friends over for a braai tonight, and we’ll be having these mini chicken kebabs with a Mediterranean olive marinade for starters. I prefer to use deboned thighs for the kebabs, as the browner meat is always more tender and juicy. No-one likes a dry sosatie!
Rather make smaller bite-size kebabs for this recipe – they are easy to eat as snacks or starters and they are easier to cook through without the risk of being underdone. I serve them with Medi Deli’s Roasted Red Pepper Dip – the perfect partner for these Mediterranean flavours!
Ingredients for marinade:
- 10 x Mediterranean Delicacies Calamata Style Olives, pitted
- 1 t Mediterranean Delicacies Basil Pesto
- 4 x Spicy Sweet Pickled Peppers (or peppadews)
- 1 t lemon juice
- 2 T (45 ml) olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
Ingredients for kebabs:
- about 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (preferably organic)
- 10-12 thin wooden kebab sticks, sliced in half (I only use the sharp-edged halves)
- 1 x small tub Mediterranean Delicacies Red Pepper Dip, for serving
Method:
- In a food processor or blender, mix all the ingredients for the marinade to a chunky paste.
- Cut the chicken thighs into bite-size chunks (about 2 x 2 cm) and arrange on kebab sticks, about 4-5 pieces on a stick
- Brush liberally with marinade, then grill on an open fire until golden and just done, or bake in a pre-heated oven at 220 C for 10 minutes on each side.
- Remove from fire/oven and serve immediately with Mediterranean Delicacies Roasted Red Pepper Dip.
This post is the first in a 4-week series that I am doing in association with Mediterranean Delicacies.
WIN a fabulous Medi Deli hamper by entering their competition on Facebook! Competition closes on the 1 of July 2012. Hamper includes a gourmet pasta maker, cheese board and a selection of delicious wines and Mediterranean Delicacies’ products.
