Grilled Spice Rubbed Chicken Kebabs with Cous Cous Salad

Grilled Spice Rubbed Chicken Kebabs with Cous Cous Salad
Serves 4

This is a great dish to prep overnight and throw on the grill as guests arrive. The cooking trick to the cous cous side is allowing the grain to steam in your serving bowl. I’ll explain it below but it’s genius.

2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 teaspoons salt, divided
2-3 cups full fat yogurt
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon sumac
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin 
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
¼ cup sesame seeds
2 cups cous cous
2 lemons
1 handful chopped cilantro
½ cucumber or 2-3 little cucumber, sliced
½ cup toasted slivered almonds
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 

Cut chicken into 1” uniformed bite size pieces. Place in a large bowl or resealable bag and season with 1 teaspoon salt. To the vessel add yogurt, turmeric, sumac, paprika, cumin, and cinnamon and mix to combine and fully coat. Cover with plastic wrap or seal and store in refrigerator overnight or for at least 4 hours. 

When ready to grill, preheat grill over medium high heat until the temperature reaches about 425º F. Remove chicken from marinade and skewer on metal skewers. If using wooden skewers, soak for 10 minutes before adding meat. Discard remaining marinade. 

Season skewered kebabs with additional teaspoon of salt and sesame seeds. Grill on each side for 3-4 minutes until lightly charred and cooked through. 

While chicken is cooking. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Place dry cous cous in a large bowl, or your serving bowl. When water comes to a boil season generously with salt (in addition to the above). Pour over cous cous by about an inch. Cover cous cous bowl with plastic wrap and allow the grain to steam for 5 minutes or until water is fully absorbed. 

Remove plastic wrap and add lemon juice, cilantro, cucumber slices, almonds, and olive oil. Mix to combine and season, if needed with the remaining teaspoon of salt. You may need some or all of this, taste and see. 

Remove chicken from the grill and plate on top of or next to cous cous.