A proper chicken shawarma — the spiced meat cooked on a spit, then stuffed with pickles, sauces, tomato and other salads into a flat bread wrap — is truly right up top on the God Tier of sandwiches. This, my improper version, is another proposition, but headily delicious in its own right. I marinate the chicken with lemon, garlic, oil and all the right spices but, for an easy meal at home, I cook it in the oven. I do serve it with pitta or other flatbreads, along with a divine sauce made simply by mixing together yogurt, tahini and more garlic, adding a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds if I have some. As you can see, I serve the chicken on a mound of shredded iceberg, and you could easily put a bowl of sliced tomatoes out on the table too and, if it took your fancy, another of pink-pickled onions (you can see the method for this in step 1 of the fish finger bhorta. Of course, you are free to add anything you may want alongside — you can never have too many pickles, in my book! — but whatever you do, provide plenty of napkins, and allow everyone to roll up or stuff their pittas as they wish. It’s the perfect indoor picnic! For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
