Lamb Kebabs with Harissa come rain or shine

Usually I make the soups, sauces,chutneys and vegetables and Mr Sweet Potato cooks the meat. But I think it is time for me to start cooking the meat, being a food blogger and all. Therefore the beef bourguignon. 

It's two years to date that my life changed irrevocably and I lost everything and in some "Eat Pray Love" kind of way I am still trying to learn what its all supposed to mean. One year ago to date I was preoccupied in clearing my life of cobwebs and quagmires. Now that my life is several kilos lighter and minus the cobwebs and quagmires, its time to cook meat. 

The beef bourguignon was a good start. Next are lamb kebabs. I wanted to learn to make the kebabs even without the rare, clear, sunny Pacific North West day and without an outdoor grill. 

I started with homemade harissa. Smoky mild Peruvian Aji Panka and spicy smoky Mexican Guajillo chilies are soaked in hot water for 15 min and then ground with toasted cumin, coriander and caraway seeds, a few pieces of sauteed garlic and a medium sized preserved lemon to give the harissa a tangy kick. The lamb cubes are marinated with harissa and mint leaves. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator or until the lamb has succumbed to the harissa’s desires. 

A colorful medley of red, green, yellow, orange peppers, onions, white mushrooms are soaked in olive oil and zahter before cooking them.

I kept the Basmati rice simple with onion, garlic, cumin and a few fronds of saffron. 

The Japanese are famous for their double barbecue technique. Instead I used a double cooking method. Cook the lamb covered at 375 degrees for 20-25 min in the oven and the vegetables covered at 400 degrees for 15 min. Skewer the lamb and vegetables and baste with butter or better still with saffron butter and sear at medium to high heat over your home gas flame for a perfectly browned and spiced lamb and vegetables kebab. And enjoy your home smelling like a Mughal palace with the delicate aroma of saffron butter and mint. 

Bon Appetit!

Harissa

4 Peruvian Aji Panka chilies and 4  Mexican Guajillo chilies 

3 tsp of coriander seeds, 3 tsp cumin and 3 tsp caraway seeds.

8 pieces of garlic

Soak the chilies in hot water for 15 min

Use half of this preserved lemon. Remember to remove the seeds

Saute the coriander, cumin and caraway seeds.

Saute the garlic

Grind the soaked softened chilies, sauteed seeds, garlic and half a de seeded preserved lemon 

Add salt to taste. The smoky, spicy, tangy  Harissa is ready

                                                                        Lamb

Two pounds of de boned lamb leg

Cut into cubes

I cup of finely chopped mint

To cubed lamb add 6 heaped tsp of Harissa,1 cup of mint and  the juice of a lemon and salt to taste
Marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight 

Cook the lamb on a tray, covered for 20 min at 375 degrees

                                                                     
                                                                   
                                                                      Vegetables

Green, yellow, orange and red peppers and red onion  and white mushrooms

5 tsp of Zahter

Cut vegetable into large pieces and  add olive oil, salt and 4 tsp of zahter and mix well.
Cook vegetables, covered  for 15 min at 400 deg in oven

                                     

Add olive oil liberally, salt and 1 tsp of zahter and coat well
Cook mushrooms uncovered for 20 min at 400 deg in oven.
At the ten min mark make sure the mushrooms are still well coated with oil to prevent drying

   



                                                                            Rice

Saute 1 large diced onion, 3-4 pieces of diced garlic and 2 tsp of cumin in olive oil

When the onion is pink and translucent add 2 cups of  Basmati rice and saute for 5 min

Add 4 cups of chicken broth 

Add a few fronds of saffron and cover and cook rice 

                                                         Vegetable and lamb skewers

Skewer the cooked lamb and vegetables and baste with saffron butter and then sear on medium to high flame, turning over frequently.

When done layer the kebab skewers over a plate of rice. Serve with yogurt and Harissa
Bon Appetit!