Lamb Shish Kebabs
Donal's Notes
A fresh and flavourful way with boneless lamb leg. Taking inspiration from the Middle East’s vast cuisine, these kebabs are a far cry from what you might have on a late night after the pub. The dry spice rub, the garlic sauce and the charred pita bread go a long way to making this a memorable summer feast best shared with friends and family and easily executed even if you aren’t quite a grill master just yet. Make your hummus from scratch or give a store bought tub a little kick with a squeeze of lemon and some freshly grated garlic. When cutting the lamb for the skewers, keep it small so the pieces once threaded on skewers have an opportunity to go crispy and gnarly on the outside and beautifully tender inside.
For the spice mix:
For the garlic & lemon yoghurt sauce:
For the pickled onion & red cabbage:
To serve:
2 x Chopping board
Microplane
Pestle and mortar
Tongs
Large mixing bowl
Large baking tray
Griddle pan
12 skewers
Instructions
1
First work on the lamb marinade. Cut the lamb leg into small 2-3cm pieces.
2
Use a pestle and mortar to bash the cardamom pods until they split open and pick out the seeds, discarding the shell. Bash until you have a fine powder.
3
Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, sweet paprika, chili flakes and ground cardamom seed and sea salt to a large bowl and grate in the garlic. Give everything a good mix.
4
Add the lamb, tossing to combine evenly. Leave the lamb to sit covered in the fridge for at least one hour. Alternatively make this ahead of time and leave to marinate overnight.
5
While the lamb marinates, prepare the yoghurt sauce by infusing the saffron strands in hot water in a small mixing bowl and leaving to stand for 5 minutes. Once infused, grate in the garlic and add the lemon zest, Greek yogurt, and a pinch of sumac and mix well to combine. Season to taste and set aside.
6
For the pickled onion & red cabbage, finely slice the red cabbage and peel and finely slice the red onion.
7
Place them in a mixing bowl and add the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of sugar and generous seasoning of sea salt. Using your hands or tongs massage the cabbage and onions until they become soft and tender. Set aside.
8
Once the spices have permeated the meat, thread the lamb pieces onto 12 skewers, arrange on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
9
Place the lamb skewers to cook over a hot BBQ for 3 minutes either side or until medium rare. Alternatively, heat a griddle pan over a high heat until smoking (no need to add oil to the pan as there is oil on the skewers) and cook for 3 minutes either side. Turn as needed until you have a lightly charred exterior and a blushing interior.
10
Spread each pita with hummus and top with the lamb skewers, the pickled vegetables and herbs of your choice. Drizzle with the yoghurt sauce and a sprinkle of sumac.
