Name: Chicken shawarma with Golden Sauce and Spidey Sauce
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 6 (12 half-pita pockets)
Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds Chicken tenders, such as Smart Chicken; 1/3 cup Plain Greek yogurt; 1 1/2 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil; 2 teaspoons Fresh lemon juice; 2 cloves Garlic, finely minced; 1 teaspoon each Ground cumin and ground coriander; 3/4 teaspoon Smoked paprika; 1/2 teaspoon each Ground turmeric and black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon each Ground cinnamon and allspice; 8 grams Kosher salt, about 2 3/4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal or 1 3/4 teaspoons Morton; 1 tablespoon Extra-virgin olive oil; 1/4 teaspoon each Ground cumin and ground coriander; 1 pinch each Smoked paprika, turmeric and black pepper; 1 small pinch each Ground cinnamon and allspice; 1/2 small clove Garlic, finely grated; 2 teaspoons, plus more to taste Fresh lemon juice; To taste Kosher salt; 2 teaspoons Neutral oil; 1 1/2 teaspoons Yellow curry powder; 1/2 cup Mayonnaise; 1/3 cup Plain Greek yogurt; 1 1/2 teaspoons Honey; 2 teaspoons Fresh lemon juice; 1 teaspoon Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar; 1/2 small clove Garlic, finely grated; 1/4 teaspoon, then to taste Kosher salt; 1/2 cup (85 grams) Jarred roasted red peppers, well drained and blotted dry; 1/2 cup (120 grams) Plain Greek yogurt; 2 small cloves Garlic, peeled; 1 teaspoon Tomato paste

Getting them to take that first bite

Chicken shawarma has some flavors that can catch a kid off guard. Allspice and cinnamon smell great to me, but they're a little different on a lunch tray. I wanted something familiar to get the kids excited about that first bite.

So I made a roasted red pepper garlic sauce and called it Spidey Sauce. A name they know, with a reddish-orange color that looks approachable. Golden Sauce is a curry mayo. It tastes really good, and the two sauces go nicely together on the chicken.

I use Smart Chicken tenders. Chop the chicken, add the sauces and tuck it into a warm pita. Now it's a sandwich. That makes the whole dish a little more familiar.

After each lunch group, I asked which sauce they liked better. Spidey won narrowly. A lot of kids said they liked both together, which is a pretty good way to eat it.

A simpler finish at home

In the lunchroom, I give the cooked chicken another toss with fresh spiced oil and lemon. It helps when the chicken has to wait a little before service. At home, when you're eating it right away, that extra step is optional. Taste the chicken and adjust the salt and lemon either way.

The crunchy iceberg and carrot salad gets sumac and lemon. Dress it just before you fill the pitas, then let everyone choose Golden Sauce, Spidey Sauce or both.

Instructions

Marinate the chicken

Combine the marinade spices in a large bowl. Whisk in the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt until smooth. Add the chicken and coat it well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Make Golden Sauce

Warm the neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the curry powder for 30 to 60 seconds, just until fragrant. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Stir the garlic into the lemon juice and vinegar and let stand for about 10 minutes while the curry oil cools.
Whisk the mayo, yogurt, cooled curry oil, honey, garlic mixture and salt together. Taste. Add lemon if it needs brightness, a little honey if it is too sharp, or salt if the flavor is flat. Refrigerate while you finish cooking.

Make Spidey Sauce

Warm the olive oil in the small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the paprika for about 20 seconds, then the tomato paste for 1 to 2 minutes, until it darkens slightly. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Finely chop the garlic in a mini processor. Add the lemon juice and salt and let stand for about 10 minutes. Add the drained peppers and cooled tomato paste mixture. Blend until smooth, then whisk into the yogurt.
Taste and adjust the lemon and salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve. For a stronger pepper flavor, blend in another spoonful of well-drained roasted pepper.

Roast and finish the chicken

Heat the oven to 450°F conventional or 425°F convection. Lift the chicken out of the marinade and wipe off any heavy clumps. Arrange in a single layer on two lightly oiled sheet pans, leaving space between pieces. Discard the used marinade.
Roast for roughly 12 to 18 minutes, switching the pans between racks if needed. Start checking small tenders early. The thickest pieces should reach 165°F. Rest for 5 minutes, then chop into bite-size pieces.
Optional finishing oil: while the chicken cooks, warm the finishing oil in the small saucepan over low heat. Stir in its spices for 20 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Take off the heat, then add the fresh garlic, lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
Toss the chopped chicken with its resting juices and, if using, the fresh finishing oil. If serving right away, you can skip the finishing oil. Taste and adjust the lemon juice and salt either way, before adding sauce.

Dress the salad and fill the pitas

Mix the salad's lemon juice, sumac and garlic in a bowl. Let stand for about 10 minutes, then whisk in the olive oil, honey, a pinch of salt and black pepper.
Warm the pita halves briefly on each side in a dry skillet until pliable. Toss the iceberg, carrot and cilantro with the dressing just before serving. Taste for lemon and salt, then add the final pinch of sumac.
Fill the warm pockets with chicken, salad and Golden Sauce, Spidey Sauce or both. Taste a complete pocket before serving so the chicken, dressing and sauce work together.

Chicken shawarma with Golden Sauce and Spidey Sauce

Getting them to take that first bite

A simpler finish at home

Kitchen video