The Döner Kebab—Ingested in Turkey, Recreated in Seattle
After a fact-finding mission to Turkey, we returned with a newfound appreciation of the classic street food, the döner kebab. Find a simplified recipe for it below, alongside some additional findings.
![The Recipe](https://www.awesomenessdigest.email/content/images/2023/11/https-3a-2f-2fsubstack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f9107a213-6044-4c0b-9206-20862efdc8cd_1002x176-webp.jpg)
![Kebab on a plate](https://www.awesomenessdigest.email/content/images/2023/11/https-3a-2f-2fsubstack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f68446a15-0884-47e0-86d7-5d113134ec2d_1468x1468-jpeg.jpg)
The Kebab
- 2 chicken breasts
- Olive oil (to taste)
- ½ grated onion
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp coriander
- 2 tsp oregano
- A dash of paprika
- A generous pinch of black pepper
- Iceberg lettuce
- Canned corn, drained (optional)
- Sauces (optional—prepare them according to the steps below)
- Pitas
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice chicken breast into thin strips—about an inch in length.
- In a bowl, coat chicken with olive oil, onions, garlic, cumin, coriander, oregano, paprika, and pepper.
Serve any which way you like: I prefer topping a toasted pita with lettuce, chicken, corn, and sauces. Eat as a handheld or use a knife and fork—there’s no “wrong” way to enjoy a döner.
Garlic Sauce
- 1 cup yoghurt
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tsp dried mint
- 4+ garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and pepper
Mix ingredients together. 🤷♂️
Chili Sauce
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ grated onion
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 red chilis, chopped
- 1 pinch of sugar
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Optionally, water for a thinner consistency
Throw it all in a Vitamix or equivalent blender, and mix until you reach your desired consistency. I like mine to remain somewhat chunky.
![The Findings](https://www.awesomenessdigest.email/content/images/2023/11/https-3a-2f-2fsubstack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f130cfce1-459e-4f11-88ef-04d966fcbdd4_1456x363-webp.jpg)
During the nineties, the döner kebab was a mainstay in my fast-food arsenal. In Europe, it’s largely equivalent to a street taco or a burrito—you can easily find at least one kebab shop in most urban neighborhoods.
It had been a minute since I enjoyed a kebab, but the flame got reignited during a recent visit to Alaçatı, Turkey. (Further food findings from that city will be posted in a future edition of the Digest.)
Worth mentioning is that while “döner” suggests one particular type of kebab, it really is just a baseline. In other words, a döner is meat covered in a spice mix, cooked on a vertical rotisserie, served on or with a pita, usually with pickled peppers. Customization—which often is the norm—comes down to the cook’s whims.
![Man slicing up a kebab](https://www.awesomenessdigest.email/content/images/2023/11/https-3a-2f-2fsubstack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f8f89010d-e1c9-4e7b-bb53-69a43a4f7d1e_311x240-jpeg.jpg)
Web Source
Doner kebab. (2023, August 25). In Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doner_kebab