Brochettes with Ras El Hanout, Lemon and Garlic

As you know, dear reader, I just made ras el hanout last week. To my great pleasure?and displeasure?most of it is already gone. I only had one fourth of a cup to begin with, which might sound like plenty to some, but to a spice girl like me (no connection to The Spice Girls, even though I wish), who is generous and indubitably liberal when it comes to flavoring food, it is but a sample, a pinch of the mounds she wishes she had.

Spice Girl! Hmm, I like that. I think it should be my new nickname. My sobriquet since I was a child has been sissi: a cute, girl next door, glamourless term of endearment. I don?t know why it stuck with me or how it started. My family has always been fond of nicknames, lovingly and unbashingly calling everybody a name with little or no relation to their real one. Spice Girl is more fitting for me now, considering my new sexy kitchen diva status. So, feel free, dear reader, to call me Spice Girl as a token of our growing familiarity and trust.

My chicken with ras el hanout came out just the way I wanted it: grilled to a golden perfection with burned, crusty tips, but still moist with juices dripping from the skewers onto the plate, and a heady aroma that travels through backyard fences, urging even those neighbors who never bothered to say hello before to stretch their arm up, over the fence and through the bushy bougainvillea to waive at me.



I love real food, with real flavors. Food that marinates, roasts, smells and sizzles. Enjoy these brochettes as they go through all the steps of this process. If possible, let the chicken marinate several hours or overnight. But if you?re in a hurry and can?t wait to grill it?like it?s happened to me many times before?don?t you worry, dear reader, it will still taste delicious.


Brochettes with Ras El Hanout, Lemon and Garlic

4 servings

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 lemon, freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ras el hanout
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, garlic, lemon, olive oil, ras el hanout, salt and pepper. Mix well to blend. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator, 2 to 4 hours.

Place the chicken on skewers. Heat the grill. Place chicken skewers on hot grill and cook, 5 minutes per side. Garnish with chopped parsley.