Pickle The Onions
Pack sliced onion into a jar.
Warm vinegar + water + salt (+ sugar if using) just until dissolved.
Pour over onions. Let sit 10–15 min (or chill up to 1 week).
Technique note: Warm brine speeds up the pickle without cooking the onion. Thin slices = faster “snap.”
Blend The Date Sauce
If your dates are firm, soak them in hot water 5 minutes (optional).
Blend dates + tahini + lemon + garlic + salt (+ cumin) with cold water.
Adjust: Too thick? add water 1 tbsp at a time. Too sharp? add 1 more date. Too sweet? add a squeeze more lemon + pinch salt.
Target texture: drizzleable but clingy—like a fancy fast-casual sauce.
Blend longer than you think. Dates need time to fully disappear into the sauce.
Cold water helps the tahini emulsify into a creamy sauce instead of seizing.
Cook The Chicken
Toss chicken with olive oil, spices, salt, pepper, lemon. Let it marinade for at least 20 min, 4 hrs if you want max flavor.
Right before cooking toss your chicken in corn starch until all juices have been absorbed. This will make your chicken next level crunchy.
Sear in a hot pan 5–7 min per side (or bake 425°F for ~18–22 min).
Rest 5 min, then slice.
The cornstarch step is the cheat code: it binds surface moisture and creates a crisp shell.
Don’t crowd the pan—steam is the enemy of browning. Cook in batches if needed.
Resting keeps the juices in the chicken so your wraps stay juicy, not watery.
Cook The Peppers
Toss the peppers into the same pan after removing the chicken, add a bit of oil.
Then add caper berries and the juice of the berries as your salt brine.
Cook until soft-ish.
Cooking in the same pan grabs the chicken fond and turns it into extra flavor.
That caper brine is basically a built-in seasoning + acid—use it like you would a finishing splash.
Assemble
Wrap base (endive/cabbage/collard/jicama/rice paper)
Add cucumber + herbs + pickled onions + radish
Add sliced chicken
Finish with a heavy drizzle of Date–Lemon Garlic Tahini Sauce
Optional finishing move: sprinkle sumac or toasted sesame.
Keep the cold elements cold. That hot/cold contrast is what makes it feel like takeout.
Sauce goes last so it stays glossy and doesn’t get absorbed into the greens.
Homemade Saffron Lavash Wraps
Whisk flour + salt in a stand mixer.
In a small bowl activate your yeast (unless its instant) with sugar, saffron and your liquid.
Add oil.
Mix until shaggy, then knead until smooth: By hand: 20–30 min or Mixer: 15–20 min
Cover and rise 60–75 min room temp until puffy (not necessarily doubled).
Divide into 8 balls (~105–110 g each). Cover and rest 25 minutes.
Lightly flour surface (use as little as possible). Roll each to 10–12”. If it fights you: rest that piece 5 minutes, then continue.
Heat a dry skillet to medium-high until very hot. Cook 20–40 sec first side (bubbles + freckles). Flip 10–20 sec second side.
Stack hot lavash inside a clean towel or tortilla warmer; keep covered.
*While Medjool dates are high in natural sugars, they are low on the glycemic index thanks to a balanced amount of soluble fiber. The complex carbohydrates found in Medjool dates are digested at a slower rate, making them a source of dietary fiber and releasing energy to the body over a longer period of time.
