Shawarma

Cut the chicken into strips about 1 cm thick, so that the pieces cook fast and take up the marinade. In a large bowl, mix 150 g of the yoghurt with 3 crushed garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the olive oil, paprika, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper and a generous pinch of salt. Add the chicken and turn it until every piece is coated.

• yoghurt150 g
• garlic3 cloves
• lemon juice2 tbsp
• olive oil3 tbsp
• paprika2 tsp
• cumin2 tsp
• turmeric1 tsp
• cinnamon0.5 tsp
• black pepper1 tsp
• saltto taste
• chicken800 g

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight and no longer than 12 hours. The yoghurt and lemon tenderise the meat, and the spices have time to reach the middle of each strip. Take the bowl out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking, so the chicken is not ice-cold when it goes into the pan.

Heat a large, heavy frying pan over high heat until very hot. Lift the chicken out of the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and cook it in 2–3 batches without crowding, for 3–4 minutes per batch, turning once, until it is browned and has charred edges. Cook until the middle of the thickest piece reaches 75 °C. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes, then slice it thinly.

• chicken800 g

While the chicken rests, crush the remaining 2 garlic cloves with a pinch of salt. Stir them into the remaining 100 g of yoghurt with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and lemon. The sauce should be cool, sharp and quite garlicky, to cut through the richness of the meat. Slice the tomatoes and drain the pickles.

• yoghurt100 g
• garlic2 cloves
• lemon juice1 tbsp

Warm the pitta breads for 30 seconds on each side in a dry pan, or in the oven, so they are soft and flexible. Spread a spoonful of garlic sauce over each, then add the sliced chicken, tomato and pickles. Add a little more sauce on top, fold in the sides and roll up tightly. Serve at once, cut in half if you like.

• pita bread4
• tomato2
• pickle100 g