Friday Feast - Lamb Kebabs

This recipe is one I've used since the 1980's, back in the days when you had to hunt to find plain yoghurt, and it's still a great favourite.

Lamb Kebabs

Makes 8 kebabs, serves 2 hungry people

450g/1lb lamb (either leg or fillet) cut into 1" cubes
250g or so button mushrooms washed and trimmed if necessary
Small onions - approx.16
Tomatoes- at least 8, cut in half
8-12 rashers streaky bacon
60g/2oz butter

Marinade:
150g carton natural unsweetened yoghurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice (normally the juice of an average sized lemon)
1 tablespoon onion (either dried or freshly sliced)

Mix marinade ingredients together, stir in the cubed lamb, cover and put into fridge for at least four hours - more if possible.

Cut bacon rashers in half across the middle and roll them up.

Peel onions and boil for l0 minutes, or even less, just to soften them but not long enough for them to begin to come apart. Drain thoroughly.

Thread ingredients onto kebab skewers and brush with melted butter, I just melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave.

Pre-heat grill and grill for 6-8 minutes on each side, brush the second side with butter when you turn the kebabs over.

Serve with rice.

Things I do: Oh boy, these are a delight for someone like me  to make. I just love neatness and organisation - not that I always live my life like that but making kebabs comes quite close :) I made these yesterday evening, after a blip on Wednesday afternoon, the lamb ended up in the marinade in the fridge for about 28 hours - and it was absolutely non the worse for the experience. I've always used dried onions for the marinade, just habit really. I like to make the bacon rolls whilst boiling the onions earlier on in the day - it speeds things up later and you don't have to run the gauntlet of handling hot onions.

Then, with everything nicely lined up on plates/in bowls, comes the fun part - your hands will be messy from the marinade so it's good to keep everything within easy reach. There are no rules for assembling these kebabs, other than (I find) it's good to have half a tomato on either end which helps to keep everything else on the kebab skewer. Just alternate the ingredients as you fancy.

I've always cooked these under the oven grill, never on the BBQ - my own gut feeling is that I have a lot more control by using the oven grill as things like the tomatoes will cook faster than the lamb so I do end up turning the grill up and down a bit. But don't let that put you off having a go.

They are great served with rice, although yesterday evening I served these with pitta pockets stuffed with lettuce, tomato, cucumber - and a jaunty spring onion poking out of the top of each one :)

Something for the Jubilee holiday weekend perhaps? Enjoy!

Di
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