Shish Tawook

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic paste, tomato paste, olive oil, seven-spice, paprika, and salt until combined into a uniformly orange-pink marinade. Add the chicken cubes and toss to ensure every surface is coated. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours and ideally overnight — the lactic acid in the yogurt and the citric acid from the lemon work slowly to tenderize without turning the texture mushy. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling to take the chill off.

Thread the marinated chicken onto metal skewers (if using wooden, soak in water for 30 minutes first), alternating with any optional vegetables. Grill over direct high heat — charcoal is ideal, a gas grill on maximum is the next best option, a cast-iron grill pan indoors at screaming high heat is acceptable. Cook for 4–5 minutes per side until the marinade has charred in places and the chicken is cooked through. Do not move the chicken for the first 2 minutes on each side — let the crust form. The marinade will blacken in spots from the tomato paste sugars — this is not burning, it is caramelisation. Total grill time: 10–12 minutes.

Remove the skewers from the heat and rest for 3–5 minutes on a warm plate before sliding the chicken off. Resting allows the juices redistributed to the surface during cooking to be reabsorbed into the flesh. If you cut immediately, you will lose a significant amount of juice to the plate. Cover loosely with foil but do not wrap tightly — trapped steam will undo the char.

Slide the chicken off the skewers onto a serving platter. Scatter chopped flat-leaf parsley over the top. Serve immediately with warm flatbread, a generous bowl of toum (Lebanese garlic sauce), pickled pink turnips, and fresh tomato slices. The correct ratio is: chicken on bread, a smear of toum, a pickled turnip, and a squeeze of lemon over the whole thing. This is a dish that demands eating with your hands.