{"id":7839,"date":"2019-08-25T11:42:45","date_gmt":"2019-08-25T18:42:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.amyglaze.com\/?p=7839"},"modified":"2019-08-25T12:05:10","modified_gmt":"2019-08-25T19:05:10","slug":"persian-saffron-chicken-kabobs-jujeh-kabobs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.amyglaze.com\/persian-saffron-chicken-kabobs-jujeh-kabobs\/","title":{"rendered":"Persian Saffron Chicken Kabobs: Jujeh Kabobs"},"content":{"rendered":"
That’s not a kabob \u2013 THIS IS A KABOB!!! <\/p>\n I didn’t want to leave you hanging with that last saffron cherry rice dish <\/a>(albaloo polo). I know you were like: What do we serve with it lady?!?<\/p>\n Our fav is saffron chicken kabobs. As Layla’s Mama Bozorg (Grandma) always says, “you can never have enough saffron!” Whether cooking thigh meat or breast over a charcoal barbecue (preferably), jujeh kabobs are a staple in Persian cooking. <\/p>\n What makes jujeh kabobs so special and so incredibly delicious? The magical vibrant look and taste of saffron for one, but also the simple onion marinade and the onion juice that is brushed over towards the end of cooking. And there’s just something extra macho-feeling about cooking two-foot long kabobs!<\/p>\n Persians like variety. In our family, we rarely serve just one type of kabob. Normally we’ll serve koubideh alongside our jujeh kabobs. And there’s a reason for this. Koubideh kabob is made of ground beef, sometimes mixed with lamb too, and grated onion that has been wrung out in cheesecloth to remove the juice. The juice from the onion can be used for the chicken kabobs and the pulp for the beef kabobs. Making koubideh is an art form in itself and I’ll tackle that mountain soon \u2013 it’s not easy to get the meat onto the actual stakes correctly. <\/p>\n There are two types of jujeh kabob recipes. One is with yogurt (which is the way my Mother-in-Law makes them) or without yogurt which is how we make them at Faz’s restaurants. In the yogurt version the saffron is mixed in with the yogurt marinade, in the Faz version, saffron-onion juice is brushed over the kabob while cooking and not added to the marinade. I will put both versions down below for you to choose from. They are both delicious, I really don’t have a preference. The yogurt marinade does make the chicken a little more tender. <\/p>\n Saffron. Yeah, that little plastic jar that contains 3 threads is cute. That’s not going to cut it Persian cooking. Do not buy your saffron from a normal super market. It’s a rip off. Go online or go to a Persian or Middle Eastern market for saffron. They will sell it in a big package so you can use it properly. The best way to make use of it, is to grind it all up in a burr grinder and keep it in an air tight container. <\/p>\n Here’s a funny little trick on how to “bloom” saffron before mixing it into marinades or adding it to rice that my Mother-in-Law uses: sprinkle the saffron over ice cubes and let it melt to room temperature. Don’t use hot water. The reason? You don’t want to dilute the flavor or aroma or “cook” it twice. It also preserves the beautiful orange-yellow color.<\/p>\n What to serve with Saffron Chicken Kabobs? Saffron rice of course! Or Saffron Sour Cherry rice<\/a>. We normally pair them with grilled Tomatoes, Shirazi salad and I could never eat kabobs without mast-o-khiar<\/a> which is a lebneh cucumber dip.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"