Persian Kabob Recipe + Contest Winner

Beer Versus Wine Challenge Goes on Hiatus

Come again? Yep, I’m taking the Beer Versus Wine Challenge on a break. I know that I said in my New Year’s Post that it wasn’t going anywhere, and it still isn’t. I just need to rethink it. While the Challenge normally draws a lot of traffic, the traffic is not resulting in participation or votes. I’m spending a lot of time promoting a contest that nobody wants to participate in. This month there were only three competitors so I threw my hat in the ring at the last minute (and ended up winning).

Who Doesn’t Love a Kabob?

In the meantime, I’m replacing the challenge with a very exciting new series called Best… in the World! I asked some of the top travel, food, craft beer, and wine bloggers what their favorite restaurant, bar, brewery, or winery was, and they answered! Each week in February The Wandering Gourmand will publish a post highlighting some of the best indulgences around the globe. For starters, we’re covering the Best Restaurants in the World. Sign-up for our email to stay alert of this must read series!

Persian Kabob Recipe

Of course I want the Beer Versus Wine Challenge to go on break with a BANG. It definitely is with A Famished Foodie sharing her recipe for Persian Kabob! Fire up the grill this weekend and try this recipe!

A Famished Foodie’s Persian Kabob

Chicken Kabob

The Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
• ¼ cup plain yogurt
• ½ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 medium onion, grated
• 2 pinches saffron, dissolved in hot water
• ½ tbsp. garlic powder (optional)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Metal skewers

The Cooking

• In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, oil, onion, saffron, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.
• Mix cubed chicken in with marinade. Let chicken marinate in mixture for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and grease well.
• Thread cubed chicken pieces onto skewers.
• Grill the kabobs, turning occasionally, until golden brown and juices run clear, about 6 to 10 minutes.
• Serve with steamed basmati rice and grilled vegetables.

Steamed White Rice

The Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups Basmati rice.
• 1 ½ tbsp. salt
• 2 quarts water
• 2 tbsp. salt
• ½ cup butter, melted

The Cooking

• Wash rice three times in lukewarm water. Then soak for at least 1 hour in cold water to which the 1 ½ tablespoons of salt have been added.
• Place water in large non-stick pot. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to water and bring to a boil.
• Drain the soaked rice, add rice to the boiling water, and boil until tender, no more than 7 minutes. Stir twice to prevent sticking.
• Pour rice and water into a strainer and rinse with lukewarm water.
• Put 1/3 of the melted butter and 2 tablespoons of water into the bottom of the pot in which you cooked the rice.
• Taking a spoonful at a time, distribute the rice evenly back into the pot, allowing it to mount into a cone.
• Pour the remainder of the butter over the rice.
• Cover the lid with a dishtowel and place it on the pot. Cook 10-15 minutes over medium heat. Reduce temperature to low and cook for 35-45 minutes.
• Spoon rice out onto a serving platter. When you get to the bottom of the pot, there should be a crispy layer, which Persians call tadig. This should pop easily out of the pot and be served alongside the rice. Enjoy.