This lovely mountain resort town is perched above the eastern end of
the beautiful Kadisha Gorge and at the foothills of the Cedars of Lebanon.
It is the brith place of Lebanon's most famous author
Khalil Gibran. It has a small museum which pays tribute to him.
Beiteddine palace was built over a period of thirty years by Emir Bechir Chehab II.
It's architecture reflects the typical oriental architecture of the 19th century Ottoman Era.
It is remarkable for its glamorous
arcades, multicolored mosaic floors, reception rooms, harems, hammams
and even by its guest house "Diyafa" where passing guests were lodged
(French poet Lamartine stayed once there).
Detail of the Sarcophagus of Ahiram, king of Byblos, seated
on a cherub throne, before an offering table, 13th century B.C (National Museum of Beirut).
Around 1200 B.C. the scribes of Byblos developed an alphabetic phonetic script, the precursor of our modern
alphabet. By 800 B.C., it had traveled to Greece, changing forever the way man communicated.
Located in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, Baalbek is an ancient city
that has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Originally
Canaanite (3rd century BC), the Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines,
and Arabs successively occupied Ba'albek and left their imprints on the
place, often modifying what existed previously.
www.kaftoun.com
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Shish Taouk شيش طاووق - Traditional Lebanese boneless chicken kabab (brochette) with special spices usually on BBQ but sometimes pan-fried or oven baked.
| 8 |
| 4 |
| 1 hour |
| 15 minutes |
Ingredients:
| 1 kg or 2.5 Lbs |
| 3 tablespoons |
| 1 cup |
| 3 cloves (or to taste) |
| 2 tablespoons |
| 1 tablespoons or to taste |
| 2-3 cut cubes per skewer |
| Half lemon (2-3 tablespoons) |
| as needed |
| 2-3 cut cubes per skewer |
| on th side (as needed to taste) |
| as needed |
Directions:
- Clean (if necessary, skin and de-bone) and cut the chicken breast into cubes. Drain from water and pat dry.
- Put in a glass or stainless steel bowl, add the oil first and mix well, then the yogurt (alternative is white vinegar) and mix well. Add the minced garlic, Shish Taouk spices, salt to taste and mix.
- Marinade at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. It can also be frozen, but marinade first in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Portion in freezer bags and use within couple of weeks; can also freeze on skewers but without the vegetables.
- When ready to BBQ, add the Oregano/Thyme and lemon juice and mix again to re-distribute the spices and oil. Skewer alternating the chicken and vegetable (optional); I often prepare some skewers with and some without vegetables.
- Put the skewers on the BBQ and turn after 5 minutes. Cook until done but not dry. (See Variations for other methods of cooking)
Variations:
- Yogurt can be replaced by white vinegar.
- Another variation for the marinade is to add tomato paste for colour as well as taste.
- Shish Taouk spices, if not available, can be replaced by Lebanese Seven Spices (add sumac and garlic) and if not available, a mix of black pepper, garlic powder, sumac, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne & cumin for those who like it (I skip it altogether). Other optional spices are ground cloves and cardamon.
- Oregano or Thyme can be replaced by Italian herbs mix
- Cooking alternatives:
- Pan fry the chicken on high until done; pan fry the vegetables (if used) separately
- Oven bake at 400 covered until almost done; uncover, add vegetables and cook through.
Serving Suggestions:
- Serve with the Garlic dip (Toum or Tume bi Zeit) on the side; normally served as a meal with a salad and a carb such as potatoes. You can also serve with Hummus or Baba Ghannouj.
- Traditional \"street\" Shish Taouk is in a pita bread sandwich with the garlic dip (toum), pickles, tomatoes.
- Enjoy!
Submitted by: Randa Fares - Jul 24 2010 13:20:46
