Yalla Yalla’s Chicken Shawarma

Chicken shawarma wrap at Yalla Yalla

On first glance it seems my food photography has hit a new low.  Yes, this is a filled tortilla on a sheet of paper with nothing but the faintest print on the opposite side to identify it.  Although the title of this blog post claims it to be a chicken shawarma from Yalla Yalla, it could, in fact be anything.

There is a very good reason for this terrible photo.

Since discovering the takeaway counter at the Fitzrovia branch of Yalla Yalla, I have made frequent lunchtime visits.  They have a number of wraps on their menu including shawarma, kofte and Lebanese sausage, and vegetarian options of falafel and halloumi.  Each wrap is served with a pot of sour cream and one of a medium-hot tomato-chilli sauce.  All of them cost less than £5, which is a bargain for this part of London.

The wraps are all delicious, but they are not photogenic.  Every time I have attempted to photograph a cross-section it looks so mangled that it is almost impossible to decipher the individual components.  This is common of other wraps too – you should see some of the shocking burrito pictures I have saved in my phone.  Sadly they look completely unappetising, hence why I have photographed this wrap untouched.

This particular wrap is a chicken shawarma, which I usually only eat in the small hours of the morning from a small takeaway on Lordship Lane.  I have convinced myself that the more genteel surroundings of a central London restaurant makes it a viable option for lunch as well as late-night booze fodder, which is just as well as the shawarma from Yalla Yalla is so good.  Smoky pieces of tender chicken with some tomato, pickles and a pinch of sumac, toasted until the flatbread goes crispy.  There is no lack of flavour, and the ingredients work well, especially when the pots of chilli and sour cream are added, but I do have one small bugbear:  the wraps are pre-prepared.  I understand the pressures of a lunch service means that assembling individual kebabs is not the most practical approach, however I do feel a bit sad seeing all of the pre-made wraps stacked up behind the glass display.

Despite this, the wraps always taste fresh and I keep going back for more.  The lamb shawarma is also very good.

Yalla Yalla, 12 Winsley Street, London W1W 8HQ.

Gitane’s Chicken with Yoghurt and Parsley Sauce Roll

Chicken with yoghurt and parsley sauce roll at Gitane, Fitzrovia

I first came across Gitane during my first week of working in Fitzrovia.  I popped out to get some lunch and found that Kaffeine and the Scandinavian Kitchen had queues snaking out of the door.  Not wanting to throw in the towel and go running back to Pret, I pushed on a little further and found this little cafe just a few paces along.

Despite having little presence online beyond a very simple website, Gitane is almost always packed.  When I have gone online to seek out new recommendations in the local area, it is always named with great enthusiasm.  Once you venture past the doors it is easy to see why.  It is a small, but very bright and airy space, with a counter on one side selling vibrant and colourful middle eastern foods:  homely looking tarts, bright salads filled with vegetables and grains, and tiny little cakes of rosewater and pistachio.  In the winter there are always spicy soups to warm you through and fresh breads, and they almost always have a hot option – their harissa salmon is a big favourite.  Last week, however, was the first time I had been in for a sandwich.

There were a number on offer, but it was the slabs of bright yellow chicken wedged into seeded buns on the counter that caught my eye.  £5 later, one was packed into a box and accompanying me back to my desk.

The filling for the sandwich is rather impressive.  At first I thought it was merely a huge chunk of breast meat, but I was delighted to find some equally large pieces of thigh meat nestled underneath.  Both the white meat and the dark meat were incredibly moist and flavoursome and coated in a delicious saffron, yoghurt and parsley sauce.  Accompanying the meat was a large slice of tomato, a couple of pickles, more parsley and a further dollop of yoghurt.  The bread was a glazed, seeded bun.  At first it looked a little on the small side, especially given the amount of chicken nestled within it, but it did its job of holding everything together well.

A sandwich of this kind is not a traditionally middle eastern dish, however they manage to get it just right with the combination of ingredients.  £5 is perhaps a little steep for a take-away sandwich, but the quality and quantity of the chicken makes it well worth it.  I will be back at Gitane time and again.

Gitane, 60 Great Titchfield Street, London W1W 7QF.

Recipe: A Wrap Made With Ottolenghi’s Fish and Caper Kebabs

Ottolenghi’s Fish and Caper Kebabs, made into a wrap

I rediscovered my love of Ottolenghi’s recipes earlier in the week.  I dug out my copies of Ottolenghi, Plenty and Jerusalem to try to find something to do with the huge bottle of pomegranate molasses I have in the cupboard, and ended up spending a couple of hours leafing through the books, marking many pages with pink post-its for later.

This recipe, especially, caught my eye.  Although the London heatwave is now over and the city much cooler, I am still in the mood for bright summery food and this combination of fish, capers, dill and citrus just seemed to do the trick.  The simple process of mixing the ingredients, chilling the ‘kebabs’ and frying appeals to even the laziest cook.

The recipe suggests this as a starter: three ‘kebabs’ per person served with a dollop of the burnt aubergine.  I preferred instead to put the whole lot inside a wrap with some salad.  One wrap would do for a nice lunch, two would make a more substantial dinner.

Fish and Caper Kebabs Wrap with Burnt Aubergine
Serves four as a light lunch or two for a dinner; adapted from a recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi

For the burnt aubergine
2 medium aubergines
2 tbsp greek yoghurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and black pepper

For the kebabs
400g white fish fillet, skinless and boneless
30g breadcrumbs
1/2 a medium egg, beaten
20g capers, chopped
20g dill, chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
¾ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground white pepper

To assemble
Sunflower oil, for frying
4 corn tortillas or flatbreads
Rocket

Start by making the burnt aubergines.  Cook the aubergines directly over the gas flame of a cooker, turning occasionally.  The skin will blister and the flesh will become soft inside.  It will take 5-10 minutes per aubergine.  Once cooked, set aside to cool.

Once cooled, scoop out the flesh and transfer to a sieve.  Gently press the flesh with the back of a spoon to squeeze out any excess moisture.  Roughly chop and place in a medium bowl.  To this bowl, add the yoghurt, garlic, parsley, 1tsp salt and a good amount of black pepper.  Stir to combine and set aside.

Finely chop the fish fillet and place in a large bowl.  Ad the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.  Divide the mixture into 12 equal pieces and shape into ovals with your hands.  Place on a plate and refridgerate for at least half an hour.

Pour a small amount of oil into a large frying pan, about 1mm deep and cook the fish balls for three minutes on each side, or until well-browned.  Drain on kitchen paper.

Put some rocket and a couple of spoonfuls of burnt aubergine on the tortilla, then add three fish balls and roll up.  Add some hot sauce if you wish.