The combination of orange, black olives, fennel, and whole-grain mustard gives these chicken kebabs an assertive French personality. Thighs are our favorite cut from the bird—they stay juicy even over the high heat of a charcoal grill. Pair these skewers with a fluffy rice pilaf and a dry French rosé, served very cold.

  • Yield: 6 kebabs
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Total: 4 hrs 

Ingredients (8)

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-1/2-inch chunks
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 6 bamboo skewers
  • 1 head of fennel, trimmed, cored, and cut into small wedges
  • 24 pitted black olives, such as kalamata
  • Finely chopped, fresh Italian parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken thighs in a baking dish and season all over with salt. In a bowl, stir together the mustard, orange zest, and orange juice; pour over the chicken thighs. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
  2. When you’re ready to grill, soak the skewers in water for 30 minutes.
  3. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct-heat grilling over medium heat. Thread the meat, fennel, and olives onto the skewers, discarding the marinade and distributing the ingredients evenly among the skewers.
  4. Grill, turning once, until the meat and fennel are cooked through and nicely charred, about 10 minutes (move off the heat if the skewers start to get too brown). Transfer to a platter, garnish with parsley if you like, and serve.