How to make Luke Littler’s favourite doner kebab
He’s the teenage sensation, who made history at this year’s World Darts Championships. After 16-year-old Luke Littler revealed his favourite food was a doner kebab - Meliz Berg will be showing you how to make this bullseye of a takeaway in the comfort of your own home.
Luke Littlers favourite doner kebab
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
For the Chicken Doner:3 tbsp natural yoghurt2 tbsp Turkish sweet red pepper paste (tatlı biber salçası)2 tbsp olive oil1 tsp dried oregano1 tsp ground cumin1 tsp smoked paprika1 tsp paprika1 tsp pul biber2 large garlic cloves, finely grated / crushed2 large onion, sliced in half (skin still on), to use as a trivet1kg chicken thigh fillets1 tsp sea salt flakes½ tsp coarse black pepperYou will also need 4 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes - to thread the chicken onto.
To serve:6 wraps or flatbreadsIceberg lettuce, finely shreddedWhite onion, peeled and very finely slicedRipe tomatoes, peeled, halved and finely sliced
For the Garlic Sauce:100g thick natural yoghurt4 tbsp mayonnaise1 tsp dried mint1 heaped tsp finely grated or crushed garlic1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
For the Chilli Sauce:1x 400g can chopped tomatoes2 tbsp Turkish sweet red pepper paste (tatlı biber salçası) OR tomato puree1 tsp pomegranate molasses1 tsp dried mint1 small handful fresh flat leaf parsley1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped2 garlic cloves, finely grate / crushed (1 tsp)2 tsp pul biber or aleppo pepper 1 red or green chilli2 tbsp extra virgin olive oilPinch of caster sugar
For the pickled red cabbage:170ml red wine vinegar2 tbsp caster sugar100ml cold water100g red cabbage, finely shredded
Method
For the kebab:
1. Add the yoghurt, red pepper paste, olive oil, oregano, cumin smoked paprika, paprika, pul biber and garlic to a large dish and mix together well. Add the chicken thigh fillets to the dish and coat them fully in the marinated. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of four hours or up to overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 200℃/ 180℃ fan.
3. Carefully thread each chicken thigh on to the four skewers and push them down as you do, while leaving enough space at the bottom so that you are able to lift up the döner with the skewers - all four skewers should go horizontally through each thigh so that they can support the weight of all of the chicken thighs together once they have all been threaded. Don't push the fillets together too tightly, as although they need to be close together to get the desired döner effect, the fillets must have room to ensure that they are cooked all the way through.
4. Season the skewers with salt and pepper.
5. Lay both halves of the onion cut side down in a deep oven dish that is shorter in length than the skewers so that the skewers can sit on top of the edges of the dish (the döner is cooked horizontally, not vertically, but should not lay completely flat in the dish - the onion halves aid in keeping the döner propped up). Cook the chicken in the preheated oven for an initial 30-35 minutes.
6. Remove the dish from the oven, brush the chicken with the juices in the dish, then carefully turn the döner over so the other side is facing upwards, and brush with more of the juices. Return the chicken to the oven for a further 25-30 minutes.
7. Once cooked, remove from the oven, spoon over and juices in the tray and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes before carving and serving in wraps with the garlic sauce, chilli sauce, pickled red cabbage and salad.
For the Garlic Sauce:
1. Mix together all of the ingredients, and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Chilli sauce:
1. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and roughly pulse until you reach your desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt and sugar, if necessary.
For the pickled red cabbage:
1. To make the pickled red cabbage, mix the red wine vinegar and sugar in a bowl until the sugar dissolves, then pour in the cold water, stir well and finally add the shredded red cabbage, stirring again ensuring that all of the cabbage is fully immersed in the liquid.
2. Seal and pop in the fridge for at least a couple of hours before serving.