Barbecued Pomegranate and Coriander Lamb Kebabs
The summer is good! Good for my garden and good for my soul. I like pottering outside in the garden, plant a few vegetables, herbs, fruits, shrubs and trees. If it doesn’t grow I pull it out and try something new. It gives me the sense of freedom and provokes my experimental side.
Along with the outside pottering comes alfresco dining. The barbecue gets a dusting and out comes the garden furniture. Unfortunately it requires some maintenance work as it looks rather grey after being stuck in a corner of the garage during the winter. Nevertheless it does the job and I quite like the patio as my main living space for the summer, it feels as if the house has suddenly grown and gained a extra room, a bonus!
I was brought up on meat for breakfast, lunch and dinner but then barbecuing food was my dad’s speciality. I have the tendency to try and barbecue as often as time and the weather allows me to. I find it relaxing and the lovely smokiness of the food cooked over hot coals taste different and delicious. Lamb is one of my favourite meats to barbecue as the fat caramelizes perfectly and the flavour penetrates the rest of the meat. These lamb kebabs taste even better if you let the lamb marinade overnight. The pomegranate molasses gives the meat a slight sweet coating which encourages the caramelization and adds to the extreme yummyness. I serve these skewers along with my North African Couscous salad and with a generous amount on fresh pomegranate seeds.
These barbecued pomegranate and coriander lamb kebabs taste just as good cold. Take the left over salad and kebabs along on a lazy picnic in the park. If you would like to impress your friends skewer two pieces of lamb per cocktail bamboo skewer and cook them as soon as they arrive for a barbecue party, they make stunning canapes along with a cold glass of Pimms.
- 500g shoulder of lamb
- 1tsp ground coriander
- 1tsp ground cumin
- 1tbs honey
- 1tsp paprika
- 2tbs pomegranate molasses
- 1clove of garlic crushed
- zest of one lemon
- 1tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1tbs chopped parsley
- 1tbs chopped coriander
- seeds from one pomegranate
Remove the excess fat and sinew from the lamb shoulder. I like to leave a tiny bit of fat for added flavour. Cut the lamb shoulder in approximately 15g pieces, the weight gives you a good indication of the size required. I recommend that you cut small pieces and be generous with the amount that you thread onto the skewer. I found that the smaller pieces are less tough than the bigger pieces of meat.
Make a marinade by mixing the dry spices with the honey, garlic, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, lemon zest and chopped herbs.
Mix the marinade with the lamb and leave in the fridge for 2 hours before cooking.
Soak 5 large bamboo skewers in cold water for 1 hour.
Skewer 5 pieces of lamb onto each skewer.
Barbecue the lamb skewers over moderate heat until caramelized and golden all over. Alternatively heat the grill and grill the lamb skewers for 12 - 14 minutes turning them regularly to ensure a even colouring.
Remove the seeds from the fresh pomegranate and set aside until needed.
Serve the skewers with my delicious North African couscous salad and sprinkle a generous amount of fresh pomegranate seeds.
Serves 5
Food Fanatics Tips
I prefer to leave the meat marinating overnight to develop flavour. Let the skewers rest for 5 minutes after cooking.
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I’m not that keen on pomegranate but I’ll definitely try these kebabs – the marinade sounds yummy. The mention of Pimms was the kicker – oh how I long for a glass sitting on my veranda. I’m going to insist all our relatives and friends stock up for when we are visiting next month!
That looks AMAZINGLY good. I can’t wait to try it.