Lamb Kofta Kebabs from Jamie Oliver

Submitted by Snowbunny Andorra

"I saw this on Jamie at Home the other day and I thought, what with it being BBQ season, I'd give them a go. Unfortunately, as soon as I bought the lamb, the weather changed and I ended up cooking them in the oven. They'd definitely be better on a BBQ, but I wasn't going out in the rain! I found them quite difficult to handle without them breaking up when raw. They were easier after sitting in the fridge for a while, but you still have to be super careful. If you don't support the meat (ie if you try to pick them up with the skewer) they tend to fall right off. Try rolling them onto the BBQ - once they're cooked, they're fine! I couldn't find sumac, so I used the zest of one lemon instead, which was a good substitution."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 6mins
• Ingredients: 16
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 500 g lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground red chili pepper
• 4 tablespoons ground sumac
• shelled pistachios, 1 handful
• mixed salad green, 3 handfuls
• 1⁄2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 red onion, very finely sliced
• 1 lemon
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 4 large flour tortillas
• 4 tablespoons creme fraiche

directions

1. Put the pistachios into a blender and chop until they're all about half size.
2. Add the lamb and thyme, along with most of the cumin, chili and sumac (or lemon zest) (reserve a little for sprinkling on the made-up kebab). Add salt and pepper to season.
3. Pulse until it's mixed and looks like a chunky mince. If you don't pulse, you'll end up with a puree).
4. Shape onto four metal skewers, so you have four sausage shapes. Dimple the kebabs with your fingers to improve the cooked texture.
5. Place in the fridge for a couple of hours to "set" the meat a little.
6. Put kebabs onto a very hot barbecue and cook until nicely golden.
7. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the sliced onion with a good pinch of salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice, which will take the edge off the onion.
8. Just before the kebabs are ready, add the salad leaves, mint and parsley to the bowl and mix together. Add another pinch of salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and another squeeze of lemon.
9. Warm your tortillas on the griddle (or in the microwave for a few seconds).
10. Place a spoonful of the salad mix in the middle, top with a kebab and a dollop of creme fraiche, and sprinkle with a little of the left over spices. Drizzle with a little olive oil, wrap up and eat, delish!