Chillichap's Review - The Doner Kebab - Beloved Street Food Staple and Culinary Phenomenon

Hello!

I was fifteen when I ventured into one of the takeaway restaurants along Oxford’s Cowley Road for some chips. The Cowley Road is an amazing place with restaurants, delis, and takeaways from most world cuisines. Anyway, I was in a small queue and saw to the left of the counter this giant grey slab of meat rotating on a spit. It looked like an elephant’s leg. The aroma was overwhelming and to be honest, at the time, I remember thinking I didn’t like the look of the large hunk of meat on the spit or the aroma.  One of the guys in front asked for a doner kebab and the man behind the counter slammed a pitta bread onto a hot plate and produced a very long slim carving knife and began delicately taking slices off the meat into what looked like a small frying pan, only one end of it had been cut off. The staff member asked what the man wanted with it, pointing below the counter. There in about ten different compartments were all sorts of salads including sliced onion, tomatoes, and lettuce. The man replied 'All, plus chilli sauce and lemon juice'. The staff member deftly sliced open the cooked pitta and put all the salad and kebab meat inside it, finishing with a squirt of lemon from a bottle and chilli sauce from a large red plastic bottle. I was in another world and completely out of my depth. It would be three more years before I was brave enough to try a doner kebab. My loss.

• Appearance: It's a sight to behold and must be really heavy. Its appearance dominates any takeaway or kebab van.
• Fragrance: It's mildly spiced lamb and this sweet and savoury aroma travels a long distance. I've been known to be led to takeaways where it's served in cities I don't even know.
• Taste: Each bite is an overture of taste, combining succulent, herb-infused meat (lamb) with the hot sauce (I inevitably choose) and crunchy salad that complements the rich flavours. The pitta bread mops up all the juices and that lovely char on it makes you feel like you're having something from a BBQ.
• Texture: 
• It’s soft generally, but can be crispy when left on the spit a little longer. Often the person serving will turn up the heat on the spit when you order one, so there’s an element of crispiness. I’ve never had any bone or gristle, which is amazing, as I must have had hundreds (bordering on thousands).

Sides and Accompaniments: I know people who just have the meat and sauce. I, however, go for the full shebang which usually consists of sliced onion, tomato, lettuce, and pickled green chillis (which still have their stalks on and are juicy but not spicy-they sharpen your taste buds). Then I go for garlic mayonnaise and hot chilli sauce. Some places make their own chilli sauce to a secret recipe. and these establishments generally serve the best doner kebabs. Some places serve the doner kebab in flatbreads instead of pittas - or you get to choose. It's worth asking.

Value for Money: It used to be a relatively cheap snack, but I've watched the price tank over the years. So in the UK, the average price for a medium-sized kebab is between seven and nine pounds. The salad and accompaniments are added free. I think it's a little pricey now, but I'm willing to pay.

Conclusion: If you've never had a doner kebab before, I'd urge you to try it. You have nothing to lose. It may not be the healthiest food on the planet, but boy is it tasty! Most people I know have been hooked after having a doner kebab once and I'm one of them. Some supermarkets have started selling frozen kebab meat or even microwave kebabs which you can cook in the comfort of your own home. I usually have a stash of the latter in my freezer for emergencies.

Thanks for reading

Matt AKA Chillichap