Oh My God! Where do I begin? I absolutely love SOUVLAKI!

For the uninitiated, I am sure you are asking, “What is Souvlaki ?”

In Greek culture, the practice of cooking food on spits or skewers historically dates back to the Bronze Age. Excavations in Santorini, Greece, unearthed sets of stone cooking supports used by the natives of the island before the Thera eruption of the 17th century BC; souvlaki was "a popular delicacy in Santorini back in 2000 BC." In the stone cooking supports, there are pairs of indentations that were likely used for holding skewers and the line of holes in the base allowed the coals to be supplied with air.

In the Byzantine Empire, the Greek author of the Prodromic Poems (4.231) mentions "the hot meat shops" of Constantinople providing clients with spit-roasting meat slices similar to souvlaki known as psenasis souglitarea .

The word souvlaki is a diminutive of the Medieval Greek souvla (σούβλα meaning "skewer") itself borrowed from Latin subula. "Souvlaki" is the common term in Macedonia (Greece) and other regions of northern Greece, while in southern Greece and around Athens it is commonly known as kalamaki (καλαμάκι meaning "small reed").Modern-day souvlaki was described by Gustave Flaubert, a French traveler, who observed Greeks "grilling pieces of meat on a bamboo stick" during his visit to the Boeotian countryside in 1850. However, modern-day souvlaki was not widely distributed in Greece until after World War II.  Souvlaki skewers served as fast food started to be sold widely in the 1960s, after being introduced by vendors from Boeotia.  The first known use of the word souvlaki in English was in 1942.

Basically, souvlaki is a popular Greek fast food consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. It is usually eaten straight off the skewer while it is still hot. It can be served with pita bread, fried potatoes, lemon, and sauces, but the souvlaki itself is eaten on its own, with the side dishes eaten subsequently. The meat usually used in Greece and Cyprus is pork, although chicken, beef, and lamb may also be used. In other countries, and for mostly tourists, souvlaki may be made with meats such as lamb, beef, chicken, and sometimes fish.

 While souvlaki is eaten plain on hand as a fast food, it is also served as a full plate, served with fried potatoes, vegetables, sauce, and quartered pita bread. Usually it consists of the ingredients of a souvlaki-pita but laid out on a plate instead of wrapped together for eating on hand. Souvlaki can be combined with different bread, when it comes to meat, lamb is mostly used, ox also used by example.

A souvlaki-pita consists of souvlaki meat garnished with sliced tomatoes and onions, fried potatoes, tzatziki, and wrapped in a lightly grilled pita. When chicken is used instead of pork meat, tzatziki and onions are replaced with a special yellow mustard sauce and lettuce to be compatible with its taste; various other garnishes and sauces are possible, including shredded lettuce, paprika, fried potatoes, ketchup, and mustard. Sauces like ktipiti, Russian salad or melitzanosalata can also be used as an extra option. Any of these components may not be included, at the request of the customer. Hungry customers may occasionally request a two-pita wrapping (diplopito) and/or a double meat serving (dikalamo).

This homemade chicken souvlaki recipe takes you to the streets of Athens! Complete with the best souvlaki marinade; instructions for indoor or outdoor grilling; and what to serve with your souvlaki. For skewered foods like Greek souvlaki, metal skewers work best because they don’t require soaking and can be reused. However, if you are using wooden skewers for this recipe, soak them in water 30 minutes prior to using.

Enjoy!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Chicken Souvlaki Marinade:
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Skewers:
1-pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Eight 10-inch skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Vegetable oil, for brushing the grill
1 package of pita bread, for serving

Tzatziki Sauce, for serving (Recipe Follows)

Directions:

To prepare the marinade: To a medium bowl, add all marinade ingredients; whisk to combine. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

When ready to grill, remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Thread chicken pieces onto skewers, leaving 1/4 inch between pieces.

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Using a silicone brush, coat the grill with oil and place skewers on the grill. Grill until cooked completely, 6 to 8 minutes, turning halfway through.

To serve, transfer skewers to a medium platter and serve with sliced tomatoes, sliced red onion, tzatziki sauce and pita.

This dish can also be served with hummus or a Greek salad on the side.

TZATZIKI SAUCE

Tzatziki is traditionally served as a dip or an accompaniment to various appetizers and grilled meat dishes.

Yields about 3 cups

Ingredients:
1/2 English cucumber
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
2 cups whole-milk Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Grate cucumber and transfer to a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl; toss with the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let cucumber stand for 10 minutes and then press with the back of a spoon to expel liquid; discard any excess liquid.

Transfer cucumber to a medium bowl and add remaining ingredients; stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until needed; tzatziki will last 2 to 3 days stored this way.

Cook's Notes:
No grater? No problem. Just use a knife to cut the cucumber into a fine dice or julienne.

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