Chicken Leg Strip Shawarma with Mayonnaise and Mustard with homemade mayonnaise and homemade rolls

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade rolls ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl.

   Bowl
2. 2
   Add the lukewarm water and olive oil and Knead about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, pliable and doesn't stick to your hands.

   BowlStand mixer

   💡For yeast dough, use the windowpane test: a small piece stretches into a thin, translucent sheet without tearing, and that's the sign the kneading is done. Add flour only by the tablespoon, and only if the dough is still sticky after a few minutes: too much flour makes a tough dough.
3. 3
   Cover and Let rise about an hour in a warm place, until the dough doubles in size.

   Plastic wraporKitchen towel

   💡Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot. The dough is ready when it has doubled, and a gentle finger press leaves a dent that fills back slowly; if it springs right back, wait longer.
4. 4
   Divide the dough into 12 equal balls: cut it with a bench scraper and roll each piece under your palm into a smooth ball.

   Bench scraperKitchen scale

   💡Balls of equal weight bake in the same time: weigh the dough and divide it by weight, not by eye.
5. 5
   Place the balls on parchment paper on a baking sheet, with space between each ball.

   Baking panParchment paper

   💡Leave space between the balls: they grow as they rise and in the oven, and when crowded they stick together and bake pale at the sides.
6. 6
   Cover and Let rise another 30 minutes, until the rolls have risen.

   Plastic wraporKitchen towel
7. 7
   Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).

   Oven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
8. 8
   Bake 15–20 minutes, until the rolls are golden.

   OvenBaking pan

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.

For the Shawarma

1. 9
   Cut the chicken into thin strips.

   KnifeCutting board
2. 10
   Mix the strips of the chicken with the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, garlic, salt and black pepper and let sit 30 minutes.

   Bowl
3. 11
   Heat a heavy pan over high heat.

   StoveFrying pan
4. 12
   Add the chicken and fry 8–10 minutes in two batches, in a scorching pan, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through.

   StoveFrying pan

   💡Sear in batches in a scorching pan: a crowded pan cools down, and the chicken steams instead of browning.

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
5. 13
   Heat a dry pan over medium heat, and warm the pita in it.

   StoveFrying pan
6. 14
   Put the egg, mustard, salt and black pepper in the blender jar and blend about half a minute.

   BlenderorStick blenderorFood processor
7. 15
   Add the oil in a thin, slow stream, while the blender is running, until a thick emulsion forms.

   Blender

   💡The thin stream is everything: fat that goes in too fast can't bind, and the sauce breaks. For mayonnaise and hollandaise, if this happens, start with a fresh yolk and slowly add the broken sauce to it; if the sauce is too thick, thin it with a teaspoon of water.
8. 16
   Add the lemon juice and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
9. 17
   Spread the tahini, mustard and mayonnaise in the pitas, fill with the shawarma and serve with salads.