Middle Eastern food....chicken schwarmas....how do they cook that chicken?

Question

sometimes in a middle eastern restaurant, I'll see that they have chicken in what looks like a large metal vertical skewer. It almost looks like a big hunk of chicken piled on top of one another. The beef looks the same way, and when someone orders it, they just carve the meat and sservee it.

Does anyone know how they get the meat like this or if you could do that at home somehow on a smaller scale? it's sooo good!

Answer 1

the meat is marinated and then stacked tightly one on top the other and then grilled in front of the heating plate it can be gas or electric.
when u order the shawarma they will slice off the cooked outer layer from the vertical skewer and then roll it in a arabic bread with other ingredients like frinch fries , mayoneese, etc to the required taste.
the meat is nornal but without bonesss and cut in thin layers.
it not just comes in chicken but meat and camel meat too.
even fish ..

Answer 2

Shawarma is made by placing strips of meat or marinated chicken on a skewer. Animal fat and an onion or tomato are placed at the top of the stack to provide flavoring. The meat is then roasted slowly on all sides as the skewer rotates in front of or over a flame for a period of several hours (see rotisserie). Traditionally a wood fire is used, but recently a gas flame is more common. While many establishments have one skewer, specialty restaurants might offer two or more, usually of different flavors.

A cheap version of the shawarma is made of ground meat that is pre-made, and frozen onto a skewer. This is the most popular form of schawarma in Finland and California but almost unheard of in middle europe. The result is a kebab that tastes much like a SPAM sandwich.

The cooked meat is then shaved off the skewer with either a large knife, electric knife or a small circular saw, dropping to a circular tray below to be retrieved. Shawarma is most commonly eaten as a fast food, made up into a sandwich with pita bread or rolled up in Arabic lafa (a sweet, fluffy flatbread) together with vegetables and a dressing. Vegetables commonly found in shawarma include cucumber, onion, tomato, lettuce, parsley, pickled turnips, pickled gherkins, cabbage, and in some countries, such as Israel or Saudi Arabia, French Fries.

Common dressings include tahini (or tahina), Amba sauce (pickled mango with Chilbeh) and hummus, flavored with vinegar and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Chicken shawarma is often served with garlic mayonnaise, pomegranate concentrate, skhug (a hot chili sauce), or any combination of the three. Once the sandwich is made, it might be dipped in the fat dripping from the skewer and then briefly seared against the flame. In Syria and Lebanon, chicken shawarma sandwiches are generally toasted after being made up, whereas those made of lamb or beef are immediately eaten.

Sometimes beef is used for shawarma instead of lamb, and turkey is also occasionally used instead of chicken. In Israel, a turkey/lamb fat mixture is the primary flavor, although chicken is also available. Less common alternatives include fish and sausage. Some shawarma stores use hot dog buns or baguettes, but most have pita and lafa. Shawarma is often served with a plate of french fries or home fries; sometimes the fries are placed inside the pita as well. Sometimes, beef shawarma—despite its name—contains some lamb in addition to the beef, to ensure juiciness.

Shawarma is eaten either as a dish by itself, with grilled bread and a garnish, or other Middle Eastern foods like Tabouli, Hummus, and Fattoush.

Answer 3

It's very similar to rotisserie chicken.

I would love to know the restaurant you went to.

I went to City Best Chicken here in Los Angeles, and the Chicken Shawerma was tough and flavorless (but it smelled good).

Answer 4

I love Chicken Shawarma's. I first tried them in Amsterdam. I was going to try to make it myself but then I found a fantastic restaurant near me that offered carry-out. Yumm!!!
But here are a few of the recipes that I considered attempting and I have a link for a middle eastern grocery with spices.
I would recommend however calling around to the local middle eastern restaurants and letting them make the magic.
Chicken Shawarma Recipe
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (thinly cut)
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon allspice
juice from 1 lemon
___________________________
FOR THE SAUCE:
1 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons yogurt
___________________________
PITA FILLINGS:
8 loaves of pita bread or 4 large
thinly slice cucumbers
thinly sliced onions
1/2 teaspoon sumac
thinly sliced tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
pickle slices (optional)
PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients except for chicken, fillings, and sauce ingredients to make marinade. If it seems a little dry, add a little olive oil (a tablespoon at a time). Here is an excellent tahini recipe, if you do not have some handy.

Add chicken, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferable overnight.

Chicken Shawarma
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup malt vinegar
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

4 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced onion
4 cups shredded lettuce
8 pita bread rounds
DIRECTIONS
In a glass baking dish, mix together the malt vinegar, 1/4 cup yogurt, vegetable oil, mixed spice, cardamom, salt and pepper. Place the chicken thighs into the mixture and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl, mix together the tahini, 1/4 cup yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, taste, and adjust flavors if desired. Cover and refrigerate.
Cover the chicken and bake in the marinade for 30 minutes, turning once. Uncover, and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove from the dish, and cut into slices.
Place sliced chicken, tomato, onion, and lettuce onto pita breads. Roll up, and top with the tahini sauce.

Chicken Shawarma

10 cloves garlic, chopped
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon ground pepper
5 drops yellow food coloring, optional
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 pieces pita bread
1 tomato, chopped
Shawarma Sauce, recipe follows


To make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, and oil. Add curry powder, salt, pepper, and food coloring and whisk to combine. Add chicken and coat with marinade. Marinate chicken overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat a grill to medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade. Grill chicken for about 10 minutes on each side or until fully cooked through. Serve chicken on pita and top with tomatoes and Shawarma Sauce.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.



Shawarma Sauce:
3 cloves garlic
1 cup store-bought tahini
3 cups water
1/2 cup lemon juice
Salt
Add garlic to the bowl of a food processor and process until chopped. Add tahini and pulse to combine. With the machine running, slowly add cold water until frothy. Add lemon juice and mix until creamy. Season with salt, to taste.

Chicken Shawarma (Quick, Healthy and Simple Sandwich)
25 min 10 min prep
Change to: servings US Metric
1/2 kg boneless chicken
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon soya sauce
1 teaspoon mustard paste
2 teaspoons vinegar
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 chopped bell pepper
1 chopped tomato
1 chopped onion
1/2 chopped cucumber
4 chopped lettuce leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2-3 pita bread or dinner rolls
4 cheese slices
salsa dressing
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Not the one? See other Chicken Shawarma (Quick, Healthy and Simple Sandwich) Recipes
< 30 mins One-Dish Meal
Chicken One-Dish Meal
Southwest Asia (Middle East) One-Dish Meal
Dinner Party One-Dish Meal
Egg-free One-Dish Meal
Mix boneless and sliced/cubed chicken pieces with chopped garlic, salt, pepper, soya sauce, and mustard paste.
Set aside this marinated chicken in the fridge for 10 minutes at least.
Meanwhile, you can chop bell pepper, onion, tomato and cucumber. In a bowl, mix all these vegetables with a pinch of salt+pepper and 2 tablespoons of vinegar.
In a non-stick pan, pour 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and fry the marinated chicken mixture for 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked well. Tip: You can sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water on the chicken and once the water is dried, your chicken is nearly ready.
Now add the vegetable mixture to the fried chicken in the pan. Cook the entire mixture for at least 10 minutes, stirring now and then. Tip: No need to overcook the vegetables with the chicken.
Cut open your pita bread slices or halve the dinner rolls. Add cheese slices.
Use any serving spoon to scoop in your delicious chicken+vegetable mixture from the pan to the pita slices/dinner rolls.
Add chopped lettuce inside the pita slices or dinner rolls for finished effect.
You're ready to devour these hot shawarmas!
Optional Salsa Dressing: Mix the said measurements of ketchup, vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and serve with hot shawarmas!