Welcome to Chow with Me, where Chowhound’s executive editor Hana Asbrink shares all of the irresistible things she’s cooking, eating, reading, buying, and more. Today: The spice blend she’s rubbing all over her chicken.
I am a chicken-and-rice girl. Chicken fried rice has been a favorite since childhood, and I can never get enough arroz con pollo, Korean samgyetang, and any halal chicken and rice. My love for a halal cart (the original food “truck”) runs deep, and I’m proud to say I’ve successfully introduced this passion to my husband, whose standing order is a chicken-and-lamb combo.
Halal chicken and rice in the styrofoam clamshell is one of the New York City’s greatest affordable luxuries, most topping out at just $5 or $6, with salad and as much white and/or hot sauces as your heart can endure. But when a Halal Guys cart (or its brick-and-mortar shop) isn’t within reach, what to do but attempt to recreate the efforts at home.
The go-to for me is J. Kenji López-Alt’s awesome Halal Cart-Style Chicken and Rice with White Sauce recipe for Serious Eats, which always satisfies those cravings. His is a recipe that requires a light marinade (1 to 4 hours), but a marinade nonetheless. What to do when that pang for chicken and rice strikes during the week, when time is of the essence? One shortcut lies in my new favorite dry mix: New York Shuk’s Shawarma Spice.
Brooklyn-based NYShuk is my go-to purveyor of Middle Eastern pantry staples (don’t get me started on the amazing harissa line), and the Shawarma Spice is an easy way to transform your dinner game, whether you’re pressed for time or not. With it, you can:
- Dry your chicken thighs (or fish/meat of choice) before seasoning with salt and pepper, and give them an enthusiastic pat-down with a couple tablespoons of this earthy blend with a little kick.
- Saute the dry blend with butter or oil, and have it be the base of your rice cooking liquid.
- Dissolve some in olive oil before coating cut-up cauliflower, potatoes, or other root vegetable, and giving them a quick roast.
- Mix some into plain yogurt or sour cream, along with lemon and olive oil, for a tasty dip to accompany crunchy raw veg or even a bag of chips.
I could also see this Shawarma Spice playing well with scrambled eggs, popcorn, and anything with chickpeas. As you know, I love a good game-changing condiment; and a pantry staple that is able to do double-duty in adding both flavor and ease to my cooking will always be welcome.
Do you have a favorite spice blend? Share it with me below!
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