For the record I never liked lamb. I never cared for the taste of it and it was one of those foods my crazy aunt would threaten to whip us with a belt if we didn't eat it all up when she made it for us. I grew up hating it and the times I tried it after I got out on my own I still did not like it. So you can understand how leery I was of trying lamb kebabs one day a few weeks ago when Sparky said she wanted to make some after seeing Jamie Oliver make them on his show on Food Network. I figured that in order to keep domestic harmony in place I'd better keep my mouth shut and let her cook them and I'd give them a try. I was prepared to hate them but damn, when I tasted them when she made them the first time, I loved them. They tasted nothing like the shitty lamb with mint jelly that my aunt forced me to eat at big leather belt point. The kebabs Sparky made were actually tasty and very filling. So I decided to make them again last week. And they rocked my culinary world once more so here's the recipe:
I started out by shelling then mashing about half a cup of pistachios.
Next I chopped up a couple of cloves of garlic and about a third of an onion.
Then I added the juice and zest of one lemon to the pistachios. I also added a table spoon of fresh thyme leaves, a teaspoon of red chili flakes, some sea salt, a tablespoon of cracked black pepper, the onion, and the garlic. Then I added in three quarters of a pound of ground lamb. I mixed all those ingredients together.
Then I got out our metal skewers and our broiler pan. I formed the kebabs on the skewers and I laid them on the broiler pan. A word of warning, this can be a very messy step as the meat mixture wants to fall off the skewer. I recommend patting out the kebabs and then sliding the skewer inside the formed kebab and then quickly but deftly putting them on the broiler pan. I cooked them in the oven under the broiler for about 7 to 8 minutes per side and this is what they looked like when they were done:
They cook quickly if your broiler is heated up enough.
While the kebabs cooked I heated up some left over roasted potatoes that Sparky had made the night before and I added some slices of orange bell pepper to them.
When everything was done cooking I plated it all along with a small salad I had made. A word about how to eat the kebabs. The way we did it is this: I slid the skewers out and I put the meat on a small plate. I heated up some pita bread and I dished up some plain Greek yogurt. We cut the kebabs in half and put a piece in the warm bread and added a dollop of yogurt to it. You can add mint or any herb or spice to your yogurt if you like. It's all good.
I can safely say that I now like one form of lamb, so I'm happy that my crazy aunt didn't ruin all kinds of lamb for me.
16 comments:
Now that looks tasty.
Ooh, Monkey Man, I'm comin' to your house.
I tend not to eat lamb but I'd devour those kebabs.
I don't like lamb either, but I'd be happy to give this a try!
These look great, but I can't stand lamb at all. And - what's your beef with Jamie Oliver?
oh that looks terrific.
i knew a guy years ago that would roast lamb and turkeys and beef and pork roasts outside on big rotisseries placed around a huge pile of burning oak. he would move the meats closer or further away just by eyeballing them and i never had anything so good as that lamb.
about once a year i roast a boned leg of lamb in the ove. i just stick cloves of garlic into it, rub it with olive oil cracked black pepper, sea salt and dried rosemary. i leave it a little pink. noting worse than over cooked lamb. ick!
if you slice cold lamb really thin it's great in a salad with feta.
jamie drives me crazy but this sounds yummy!
Wandering Coyote-If you go back and read this post you'll see I have nothing against Jamie Oliver. In fact, you can go through my archives and find other posts where I sing his praises. We watch all his shows, buy his cookbooks, and we even bought his magazine. I've learned more about how to cook good food from Jamie Oliver than any other chef.
Your aunt was probably serving overcooked mutton, which is a very different animal compared to lamb, no pun intended. Mint jelly, though, that's just fucked up.
i love lamb and these look fabby - nice photography too
Looks great! Lamb is lovely if cooked properly. The Spousal Unit bbqs lamb chops to perfection.
Holy crap I love lamb. These look great! I make a similar kabob using lamb meatballs that have mint and basil in them, and I serve them with greek yogurt too. I almost put lamb on a pizza last night- are you reading my mind again, monkey?
Yum yum yum.
You've been tagged
Jamie Oliver always looks like he needs a good shower.
And he's a watermouth- you know, he sort of spit-talks.
Simply put, the guy doesn't look like someone I'd want handling my food. Maybe it's because he's British, but his cuisine reminds me of those Two Fat Ladies Who
Cook(ed).
Another fabulous meal!
Mmmmm. Meat onna stick. I love lamb.
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