Lamb Kebabs Skewers Recipe
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Recipe Overview
Preparation time: 10 minutes plus 2 hours or overnight marinating time
Cooking time: 10-13 minutes
Makes: 8-10 skewers
Ingredients Needed
- 700g/1.5lbs boneless lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 3cm/1.2 inch pieces, trimmed of fat
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 60ml/2flozs extra virgin olive oil plus extra for grilling
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 60ml/2flozs lemon juice
- 1 sprig rosemary, needles only
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 red capsicum pepper, cut into pieces similar to the lamb
- 1/2 yellow capsicum pepper, cut into pieces similar to the lamb
- 1 red onion, cut into pieces similar to the lamb
- Metal skewers or thick bamboo skewers, soaked for 30 mins-1 hour
- Tajin or sumac (optional)
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1 BLEND - Blend the garlic, smoked paprika, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, rosemary and black pepper together to form a paste.
Step 2 MARINADE - Place the lamb and the marinade paste in a ziplock or a container and squish and spread to combine the meat and marinade making sure that all of the surfaces of the lamb are coated. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Step 3 SKEWER - Take the lamb out of the fridge 1 hour before you want to cook it. Add the salt to the lamb and massage well. Take a skewer and thread through with onion, then a piece of capsicum and then lamb and repeat alternating with capsicum and onion (I put the yellow capsicum in the centre).
Step 4 GRILL - Preheat the grill for 10 minutes until it reaches 200C/400F and line the tray with foil. Drizzle the skewers with some olive oil. Grill for 4-5 minutes each side and then turn over for another minute or two if it needs it. Leave to rest for 5 minutes and sprinkle with sumac of Tajin if using. Serve with garlic sauce, lettuce, sliced tomatoes and flatbread.
Substitution notes:
Smoked paprika can be replaced with chipotle chilli powder. Sweet paprika can also be used, it just won't have any smokiness to it.
Lemon can be subbed with lime juice and zest.
The capsicum and onion can be omitted or you can try other vegetables like mushrooms or leeks.
Olive oil can be subbed with another oil that you like the taste of.
Use any sort of flatbread from tortillas to mountain bread. I used Greek pita bread.
Personal Note
Dear Reader, I have a follow up to the bird story from the other day. I was walking Teddy and Milo and they stopped outside the bird owner's house and I finally got to meet the owner of the bird! She was just getting out of the car and she looked at the dogs and smiled broadly. "They're so cute!" she said.
I started chatting to her about the bird because one day I'd really like to have one sod I was asking her all sorts of questions about how to look after them and what they're like as a pet.
It turns out the bird's name is Cookie and it is actually her son's bird. We had a long talk about Cookie. Cookie is a he and you can tell because green eclectus parrots are male and red ones are female. Cookie is great company although he didn't chat very much in front of people and only said a few words. But then she leaned in and told me about how a woman came up to the bird while she was there and called him by his name Cookie. "How did she know the bird's name if he didn't tell it to her?".
So tell me Dear Reader, do you usually grill meat on the oven or barbecue? What is your favourite thing to serve lamb skewers with - salad, bread or something else?