Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Walnut Puree and Gremolata

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Active time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 45 minutes

Yield

6 Servings

Ingredients

Red Pepper and Walnut Puree:

3 red bell peppers, large

¼ cup plus 1 ½ teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt

¾ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Kabobs and Gremolata:

6-8 (depending on size) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2 ½ pounds total), cut into 1-inch cubes

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

¼ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

1 tablespoon parsley, ﬁnely chopped

1 teaspoon shallot (about half a small shallot), ﬁnely chopped

1 teaspoon lemon zest (zest of half a lemon), ﬁnely grated

Kosher salt

Instructions

Combine the chicken and yogurt in a glass or stainless steel bowl and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, but no longer than 3 hours.
Heat an outdoor grill to high. Note: If you are short on time, you may substitute 1 ½ cups drained, roasted and peeled red peppers from a jar in preparing the puree.
To prepare the red peppers, rub each pepper with about ½ teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Place the peppers over heat and grill 15 to 25 minutes total (depending on the intensity of your ﬁre), turning them with tongs about every 4 minutes. You want the skins to be blistered and black. Once all sides are charred, place the peppers in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
Peel away the charred skin of the red peppers and discard. Remove the stems, seeds and inside membranes from the peppers and discard.
Place the peppers in a blender or food processor and add the walnuts, the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil, the vinegar and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture has a very smooth consistency. If the puree seems a little thick, add a tablespoon or two of water.
Transfer to a bowl, cover and set aside at room temperature. The red pepper walnut puree can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to three days. (If you are making the puree ahead of time, refrigerate it, then let it come to room temperature before serving).
Make the gremolata: Finely mince the walnuts and combine in a small bowl with the parsley, shallot and lemon zest. Set the gremolata aside.
Make the chicken kabobs: Reheat the outdoor grill to medium high. (If you are using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes before grilling. Remember, for extra strength and ease in turning the kabobs on the grill, it can be helpful to double-skewer the chicken, using two bamboo skewers about ¼-inch apart, rather than one, for each kabob).
Divide the marinated chicken evenly among 6 skewers. Season the chicken with 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Continue cooking, ﬂipping the skewers every 3 minutes or so, until the chicken is fully cooked. It will be lightly browned and feel ﬁrm to the touch. Total cooking time will be 9 to 12 minutes, depending on the heat of your grill. The internal temperature of the chicken should be about 165°F. If you are in doubt, cut into a piece to be sure.
Transfer the kabobs to a serving platter, drizzle with the roasted red pepper walnut puree and sprinkle with the walnut gremolata.