Chicken and Halloumi Skewers with Tzatziki

Ingredients

• 600 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3cm chunks
• 250 g halloumi, cut into 3cm cubes
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 200 g full-fat Greek yoghurt
• ½ cucumber, coarsely grated
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 10 g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 little gem lettuces, finely shredded
• ½ red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Fine salt and black pepper
• 4 warm pitta breads
• 10 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly torn
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• ½ tsp chilli flakes

Method

1. If using wooden skewers, soak 8 in cold water for at least 15 minutes; dry wood scorches the moment it hits the griddle.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, oregano, smoked paprika, grated garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper before it goes in; halloumi brings its own salt, so the seasoning is for the thighs. Add the chicken chunks and toss to coat. Leave for 15 minutes while you get everything else ready; the acid in the lemon does the tenderising work, so no finishing squeeze is needed once it's cooked.
3. Thread the chicken and halloumi onto the skewers, alternating pieces and pressing them snugly so nothing spins when you turn them. A loose skewer is one that cooks unevenly.
4. Squeeze the grated cucumber hard in a clean tea towel; really lean on it, you want it almost dry, otherwise the tzatziki turns watery within an hour. Stir into the Greek yoghurt with the garlic, mint, olive oil and lemon juice. Taste and adjust the salt now; yoghurt is blander than you think and needs a confident pinch to wake up.
5. Toss the shredded gem and sliced red onion with the red wine vinegar and olive oil. Season lightly and set aside; the vinegar will soften the raw bite of the onion while the skewers cook.
6. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat until you see the first wisps of smoke rising; this is important for proper char marks. Lay the skewers across the bars in a single layer with space between each one; if they don't all fit, cook in two batches. Crowd the pan and you'll steam the chicken instead of charring it, and the halloumi will weep rather than crust. Cook for 12–14 minutes total, turning every 3–4 minutes, until the chicken is firm and opaque all the way through and the halloumi is deeply golden with proper black grill lines on every face.
7. Rest the skewers on a warm plate for 2 minutes; the juices need a moment to settle back into the meat. While they rest, warm the pittas directly on the hot griddle for 30–40 seconds a side until they puff and pick up faint char.
8. Taste the tzatziki one more time; a final pinch of salt and a grind of pepper will tie the garlic and mint together. Pile the skewers onto a warm platter, scatter with the torn parsley and a pinch of chilli flakes, and bring to the table with the tzatziki, the gem and red onion salad, the warm pittas torn into halves, and the lemon wedges for squeezing over at the table.