Chilli-marinated chicken kebabs with sweet shallot and chickpea salad

Method

1. Combine the yogurt, chilli flakes, lemon juice, garlic and a generous amount of salt in a large mixing bowl. Remove quarter of it to a small bowl, then cover and chill to use later as a dressing for the salad. Add the chicken to the bowl with the rest of the yogurt mixture and toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour .
2. Heat a glug of the oil in a large frying pan, then add the shallots and cook over a medium heat, turning often, for 20-25 minutes, adding 2 tbsp of the honey after 15 minutes. Once the shallots are sticky and golden, transfer to a large bowl.
3. Add a little more oil to the pan, then scatter in the seeds and thyme sprigs with some salt. Cook over a medium heat, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the remaining honey and keep stirring until the seeds turn light golden. Tip them into a small bowl, then return the pan to the heat.
4. Wilt the spinach in the pan, moving the leaves around so they don’t burn. Once wilted, tip into a sieve, cool, then squeeze out as much moisture as you can. Add to the shallots.
5. Put the chickpeas in a large saucepan and cover with boiling water from the kettle. Simmer for 5 minutes, then drain, toss with olive oil and tip into the shallot bowl.
6. When ready to eat, heat the grill to as high as it will go. Remove the thighs from the marinade, shake off the excess (discard) and thread the chicken onto 4-6 metal (or soaked bamboo) skewers. Put the kebabs on a grill rack lined with foil, then cook for 5-8 minutes on each side until the chicken is blackened in places and completely cooked through.
7. Stir most of the honey-coated seeds through the chickpea mixture, with most of the parsley and the reserved yogurt dressing. Taste and season. Transfer the salad to a serving platter, scatter over the remaining seeds and add a drizzle of oil. Serve the skewers on top, scattered with extra chilli flakes and parsley, with lemon wedges.