Chicken shawarma

Marinate - Peel and finely grate the garlic into a large bowl, along with the zest of 1 lemon, then squeeze in the juice. Add the baharat spice, then whisk in the yoghurt. Add the chicken thighs and toss everything together really well, then cover and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

Prepare - When you're ready to cook, prepare your barbecue for indirect cooking and a temperature of about 200°C. If you have a removable centre, the skewers can be placed in this central space resting on the external grill bars. If you don't, you can cover two bricks in foil for the skewers to rest on. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.

Assemble - Tear the peppers into quarters, ripping out the seeds, peel and quarter the onion, and halve the remaining lemons. Using a couple of skewers or a spit, start with half a lemon, then thread on all the chicken thighs, interspersing them with pieces of pepper and onion. Finish with another lemon half and drizzle with olive oil.

Cook - Cook the chicken on the barbecue for 55 minutes, or until gnarly and cooked through, turning the skewers every 10 minutes or so. If cooking in the oven, put a generous splash of water in a high-sided roasting tray that's slightly smaller than the skewers (so that the meat is suspended above the tray). Rest the skewers over the tray and roast for 45 minutes, or until gnarly and cooked through, turning halfway. Transfer to a board to rest for 10 minutes.

Sides - Meanwhile, make your choice of sides (see below).

Serve - Cut between the skewers all the way down, so you get that lovely contrast of gnarly outside and juicy inside, then serve with an extra sprinkle of baharat spice, warm flatbreads, your accompaniments and some chilli sauce, if you like.

Shawarma sides: How to make your own flatbreads - To make your own flatbreads, start by placing a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. In a bowl, mix 100g of plain flour with a pinch of sea salt, 50ml of water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil until you have a dough. Halve, then roll out each piece on a flour-dusted surface until just under ½cm thick. Cook for 1 minute on each side, or until golden and almost a little gnarly, turning halfway.

Shawarma sides: Tahini sauce - Peel and finely grate 2 cloves of garlic into a bowl. Squeeze over the juice from 2 lemons and whisk with 200g of tahini (the mixture will thicken). Gradually whisk in 100ml of cold water until you reach your desired consistency, then season to perfection. Keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to make a big batch and freeze it, then simply defrost and whizz with chickpeas for a super-quick houmous.

Shawarma sides: Hung yoghurt - Line a sieve with pieces of kitchen paper, tip in 400g of natural or Greek-style yoghurt, then pull up the paper and very gently apply pressure so that the liquid starts to drip through into a bowl, then leave to drain.

Shawarma sides: Quick pickled veg - Finely slice or shred 480g of crunchy veg, such as beetroot, turnip, radish, peeling if necessary. Place in a shallow bowl and just cover with red wine vinegar. Add 2 tablespoons of golden caster sugar and a pinch of sea salt, then scrunch and mix to make a quick pickle. Pop any leftovers into a sterilised jar and keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. Perfect paired with good cheese and crackers, mixed into salads, added to sandwiches, or just enjoyed on their own.