Lebanese Shawarma Flatbreads

I made these the other day for the first time for my sister's dinner party. It is surprisingly tricky coming up with a recipe that's relatively manageable to cook for 20 teenagers, filling, interesting but not so exotic that they wouldn't try it, etc. etc. However, I thought this might be a hit as they are fun to make, easy to serve, look colourful and impressive and are yummy! We used chicken on this occasion, as it is a crowd pleaser and cheap for big-batch catering, but as always, it can be swapped for lamb, pork, fish, or a plant-based protein. The trick is to marinate the protein for at least 5 hours, so the spices and flavours are really absorbed. The red cabbage also needs to be left to marinate and pickle for a few hours. I can't wait to make this again and am sure I will soon, as have already received a lot of positive feedback from the party! The vibrancy of the assortment of spices, paired with the zingy crunch of the pickled cabbage and the fresh tomatoes and cucumber, drizzled with lashes of chilli mayo is a heavenly combination. Tip: buy authentic lebanese flatbreads if you can, which makes all the difference. We got ours from Morrisons, which sources a great variation of International foods and ingredients. Disclaimer: this dish contains a LOT of garlic, so maybe don't consider it for a dinner date ...

Serves 4

Prep time: 45 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Ingredients for Shawarma:

600g diced chicken breast

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cloves minced garlic

2 lemons (1 zested, both juiced)

1 1/2 tsp ground sumac

1/2 tsp crushed red peppers

1/2 ground allspice

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Salt and pepper

Ingredients for Pickled Red Cabbage:

1/2 small red cabbage, finely sliced with a mandolin

A splash of red wine vinegar

1/2 lemon juice

1 tbsp sugar

Ingredients for Tomato and Cucumber Salad:

4 vine tomatoes, chopped

1 cucumber, chopped

1 large red onion, diced

Handful of parsley

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 lemon juiced

Salt and pepper

Ingredients for Chilli Mayo:

4 heaped tbsp mayonnaise

1-2 tbsp chilli sauce/harissa

1/2 lemon juiced

Salt and pepper

Splash of water to thin (if necessary)

Serve with:

Flatbreads, toasted at low temperature for 2 minutes.

Method:

1. Mix the protein first with the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice. Then add the sumac, crushed peppers and allspice and mix again. Add the rest of the spices and mix again. Cover and put in the fridge or at room temperature to marinate for 5-8 hours.

2. Put the sliced red cabbage into a dish and add the vinegar, lemon juice and sugar and mix thoroughly. Cover and leave in the fridge for 3-5 hours.

3. Line a baking tray with foil or parchment and spread the chicken on it evenly. Put in the oven at 200-220 degrees celsius and cook for 35 minutes.

4. Make the salad simply by combining all the ingredients.

5. To serve, lay the flatbread on a plate add some pickled cabbage and a spoon of tomato and cucumber salad first. Place the shawarma on top, drizzle a generous amount of mayo on top and fold.

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