
It was at a summertime fair in my hometown of Ithaca, New York, that young Tyler, a professionally picky eater who really just wanted to eat plain cold cuts on plain white bread, discovered something perfect: chicken that tasted like it had been marinated in Italian dressing, skewered and grilled over charcoal, and put onto a soft, white bun with absolutely nothing else on it. A chicken spiedie. This was during a time when I didn’t bring up food in conversation lest I be forced to try something unappealing, so I got to eat spiedies only once a year at the festival. Had I just spoken up, I would’ve discovered that spiedies were all around me, I just didn’t know where to look. They’re so popular near where I grew up that there’s an annual Spiedie Fest & Balloon Rally in nearby Binghamton! This recipe takes my favorite parts of several versions and throws some curveballs: mint and dill for brightness, and ground cardamom for an air of mystery. Spiedies make me heart New York more than ever! Was that cheesy or amazing? I’m going with both.
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a blender, combine the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, mint, dill, salt, soy sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, and cardamom and puree until smooth and emulsified.
Step 2
Put the chicken in a large mixing bowl and pour the marinade over it, reserving about 1⁄2 cup marinade in a small bowl, and covering and refrigerating it. Mix the chicken well with the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24. The acidic marinade will start to break down the chicken, so if a more tender texture bothers you, marinate for 4 to 5 hours. I, however, am a fan of that texture and think an aggressively long, 24-hour marinade gives the chicken that much more flavor.
Step 3
Heat a grill until it is so hot you (almost) can’t look directly at it. Skewer the chicken; you can make a giant skewer to save space or lots of little ones for easier turning. Cook the skewered chicken, turning three times, until nicely charred, 5 to 7 minutes on each of the four sides. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then take it off the skewers.
Step 4
To serve on the rolls, top with whichever of the following makes you the happiest: lettuce, tomatoes, onion, reserved marinade, pepperoncini, olives. Or don’t use any toppings, as it’s meant to be eaten, in my book (which this literally is).