Tuscan Chicken and Sausage Spiedini

, from Issue #40. August, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Tuscan Chicken and Sausage Spiedini

‘Spiedini’ are the Italian version of skewers. When skewering chicken with other ingredients, it’s important all the ingredients are cut to the same size and the chicken touches the base of the pan on all sides to ensure it cooks through completely.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

4 pure pork sausages
4 skinless and boneless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
juice 1 lemon
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
½ teaspoon ground fennel seeds
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

To assemble
½ a slim baguette, sliced 1½ cm thick
1-2 lemons sliced into half moons
bay leaves
firm but thin branches of bay or 20 cm long bamboo skewers, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes
olive oil

METHOD

Put the sausages in a saucepan of cold water and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain and when cool enough to handle remove the skin and slice 1½ cm thick.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and combine in a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Season.

Thread the components onto the bay stalks, alternating the bread, sausage, chicken, lemon and bay leaves. Brush with olive oil and season.

Preheat a large sauté pan or barbecue flat-plate and cook the skewers until golden and cooked through, turning to cook all sides of the chicken. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with extra olive oil if desired. 

Cooks tip: If the baguette is large, cut each piece in half to give a two smaller pieces.

Wrap the bay leaves at the ends of the branches in foil to prevent them burning. Remove the foil before serving.