Restaurant (Re)creation: Terzo's Chicken Spiedini

~ My Spiedini (Re)creation (both pictured above) ~

I had to start with a Terzo (re)creation because anyone who knows me even a little is aware that Terzo is my home away from home.  I have a minor obsession with the place.  I eat there at least twice a week and they treat me like family.  I love everything on their menu, but my all-time favorite is their chicken spiedini. I cannot tell you the excitement I felt when I saw that Terzo's Chef, Mark Gordon shared his spiedini recipe in an interview back in 2008 (see interview).  I dream about their combo of grilled bread, tender chicken and spicy chimichurri sauce.  I made a few tweaks, but stayed pretty true to the original.  I was surprised by how easy it was and it looked and tasted almost exactly the same as Terzo's version.  That is a sign of a successful (re)creation!  This will become a weeknight staple for sure...

Serving Size: 12 Skewers

Ingredients:

For chicken marinade:

• 1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
• 1 bay leaf crumbled
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed chili flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 splashes sherry vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

For spiedini:

• 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 loaf country white bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cut cilantro leaves, coursely chopped
• 12 8-inch bamboo skewers

Directions:

For the marinade: 

Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until coursely chopped.

For the spiedini:

Soak the skewers in warm water (so they don't catch on fire!).

Place cubed chicken in a mixing bowl and mix with 2 tbsp (or more) of the marinade.

Place bread cubes in another bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.

Skewer the pieces of chicken, bread, and onions on each skewer and repeat.

Brush more marinade on the skewers before grilling.

Grill over a BBQ or grill pan until the chicken is fully cooked and the bread is crispy, rotating the skewers so they are cooked uniformly.

Top with extra marinade, a healthy splash of olive oil, and more fresh cilantro.

Note: If you are a carb fiend, you can make a few extra skewers of just the grilled bread (its heavenly)

Enjoy!

Terzo
http://www.terzosf.com/
3011 Steiner St (@ Union)
San Francisco, CA
(415) 441-3200