Ingredients

• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat and cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 small onion, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom seeds (from about 20 pods)
• 1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seeds, optional
• 1 teaspoon Baharat, recipe follows
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 cup black peppercorns
• 1/4 cup allspice berries
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

1. Special equipment: 10 (10-inch) wooden or metal skewers
2. Marinate the chicken cubes in a glass or ceramic bowl or pan with the olive oil, lemon juice, onion, cinnamon, cardamom, thyme, salt, pepper, cumin, if using, Baharat, and paprika for 6 hours, covered, in the refrigerator, turning the cubes occasionally. Preheat a gas grill for 15 minutes on high or prepare a hot charcoal fire. Skewer the chicken cubes so they touch each other but do not press against each other. If possible, use a skewer rack so the chicken grills without touching the grilling grate. Grill until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes, turning frequently. Serve hot.
3. Grind the peppercorns and allspice together and blend with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Store in a jar in your spice rack, away from sunlight. It will lose pungency as time goes by, but, properly stored, it will be good for many months.