Shish Taouk with Toum

Method

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1. 1Whisk the yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic, tomato paste, paprika, thyme, seven spice, salt and pepper until smooth. Add the chicken, toss to coat every piece, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
2. 2For the toum, remove any green sprout from the middle of the garlic cloves. Blitz the garlic and salt in a food processor, scraping down the sides, until it forms a fine paste.
3. 3With the motor running, add 1 tbsp lemon juice, then start pouring in the oil in a very thin stream. Add another spoon of lemon juice after a third of the oil, and the rest plus the ice water after two thirds; the toum should be white, fluffy and as thick as mayonnaise.
4. 4Transfer the toum to a jar and refrigerate; its raw garlic bite mellows after a few hours. It keeps for about 2 weeks in the fridge.
5. 5Thread the chicken onto skewers, letting excess marinade drip off; the pieces should touch but not be packed tight. Heat a grill, a grill pan, or the oven broiler at 230 °C.
6. 6Cook the skewers over medium-high heat, turning every 2-3 minutes, for 10-12 minutes in total. They are done when the edges are lightly charred, the inside is white and the juices run clear.
7. 7Rest the skewers for 3-4 minutes. Serve with flatbread, toum, pickles, tomatoes and fries.