Unlike families, to misquote the whole line of a well-known Russian novel, each satisfied kebab is delicious. There are countless variations around the globe, but they’re all primarily based around a fatty, juicy, hypocritical piece of meat on a skewer and a set of condiments that might be preferably matched to it, in addition to every difference. Today’s dish became dreamed up at a Turkish restaurant in north London where the meat is robust and generously flavored, and the condiments – rich, sharp, and splendidly complex – are fit for a (very happy) sultan.
Lamb and beef kebabs
Thanks to their high-fat content material, you can smell authentic kebabs cooking from a considerable distance. These are no exception, so a sturdy extractor or an outdoor grill will serve you nicely. Working the beef in a mixer for a couple of minutes makes it firmer and chewier in an excellent manner.
If you could, serve these with the candy-and-sour onions and roast potatoes. That’s a dreamy mixture for me, but if you’re seeking to save yourself some work, a chopped salad, pitta, and Greek yogurt or tahini sauce will be truely excellent, too.
Pulse the pepper, onion, and garlic in a meals processor, some instances till very finely chopped but not pureed. Set apart, draining off any extra liquid that could have accumulated.
Put the lamb, red meat, suet, spices, blitzed vegetables, and two teaspoons of salt into the stand mixer bowl with the paddle connected. Work at a medium pace till the combination begins sticking to the perimeters of the bowl – approximately a minute. Add a tablespoon of ice-bloodless water and mix for another five minutes until you have a sticky mass. Chill for at least 30 minutes (or overnight if you get it beforehand).
Divide the mixture into eight balls of approximately 120g each. With a small bowl of cold water beside you, moist your fingers and form the kebab mixture around the skewers, distributing it flippantly until you’ve got kofta about 24cm long x 2½cm thick. Smooth out any holes or tears, then tap on an oven tray lined with greaseproof paper (refrigerate in case you’re not cooking them without delay).
Put a nicely greased griddle pan on high heat. Once hot, grill the kofta in two batches until charred outdoors and just cooked through (regulate the warmth as essential) – about 8 to 10 minutes a set. Put the grilled kebabs at once on the pinnacle of the onions (see the recipe below); if making, the juices drip onto the onions (or place them on a massive platter) and serve right now.
Sweet-and-sour onion petals
These onions, swimming in tart pomegranate syrup, are served in many Turkish restaurants with grilled meats because they reduce the fattiness like a knife. They’re also excellent, with feta or young goat’s cheese crumbled on the pinnacle.
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. In a large bowl, toss the onions with tablespoons of oil, a quarter teaspoon of salt, and a terrific grind of pepper. Transfer to a baking tray covered with greaseproof paper and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until softened and charred, then leave to cool.
While the onions are roasting, carry the pomegranate juice to a boil in a medium saucepan on a medium-excessive warmth. Turn down the heat, then simmer for about 12 mins, or until the liquid has decreased to about 70ml and is the consistency of free maple syrup. Leave to cool; it’s going to thicken as it sits. Meanwhile, mix the chives with the remaining 45ml oil and a terrific pinch of salt in a small bowl.
Pour the pomegranate syrup directly into a massive platter with a lip and swirl it around to cover the maximum of the plate. Use your arms loosely to separate the onions into personal petals, then scatter them haphazardly over the syrup. Spoon over the chive oil and serve with the grilled kebabs (see preceding recipe).
