Turkish Chicken Kebab (Tayuk Siş)

This recipe avoids one grill problem but takes a bit more effort. That problem is how minced garlic and onion in a marinade or basting sauce burn when grilled.

2 skinless, boneless half chicken breasts

Prepare the marinade (recipe follows). Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes and place them in the zip-top bag with the marinade. Zip the bag almost closed, expel as much air as possible, and zip the bag fully closed. Kneed the bag to thoroughly coat the meat with marinade. Marinate refrigerated for 24 hours.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and skewer. The marinade is a bit messy; you may choose to wear a pair of disposable gloves, although it washes off easily. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over a hot fire.

Grill the chicken for 3 minutes on each of its 4 sides (12 minutes total), lid closed.

Marinade

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup plain yogurt

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Roughly chop the onion and garlic. Place them in a food processor and process to a smooth puree. Transfer the puree to a sieve and press with the back of a large spoon, collecting the juice. Discard the residue in the sieve. Combine the juice with the remaining ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag large enough to hold the chicken. Seal the bag and kneed to thoroughly blend.