How To Prepare Grilled Lamb Kebabs with herb Salad and Yogurt Sauce ?

Preparation:   

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Serving: 3

Ingredients:

  Lamb Kebabs

• 1 lb ground lamb ( makes 6 skewers)
• 1/2 an onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 2 teaspoons sumac ( if you can’t find sumac, sub 1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon zest)
• 1 teaspoon Aleppo Chili flakes ( or regular chili flakes)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint (or parsley, or dill)
• 12 x 12-inch wood skewers, soaked in water for 1 hour, or overnight

  Yogurt Sauce

• 1 cup plain thick greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill ( or mint)
• 2 garlic cloves finely minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

  Herb Salad

• 2–3 handfuls baby spring greens
• 1 cup fresh torn herbs- any mix of Italian parsley, mint, dill, cilantro
• 1/2 –1 cup sprouts – radish, sunflower, or baby pea shoots ( optional)
• 1 turkish cucumber, thinly sliced
• 2 radishes thinly sliced- watermelon radishes are pretty
• 1 green onion thinly sliced

  Dressing

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• zest of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sumac

Instructions:

1. Soak the skewers and start the grill.
2. With a wet hand, mix the lamb ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
3. Mix the yogurt sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. Prep the salad ingredients and place them into a medium bowl. Stir the salad dressing ingredients into a small bowl.
5. Form the kebabs. Using wet hands, divide the meat into 6 portions, of similar size, roughly ½ cup. Form each into a long oval shape, then skewer with two skewers, and then continue shaping and stretching until meat is roughly 5 inches long, and 1 ½ inches in diameter, like the shape of a Turkish cucumber. You can gently roll the meat on the skewers like you would a rolling pin, to get it nice and even, but they don’t need to be perfect. Just make sure the skewers are centered down the middle so the lamb stays on. ( All of this could be made ahead and refrigerated overnight or until ready to grill. )
6. Brush, spray or roll in olive oil to prevent sticking, and grill over med-high heat, turning every few minutes after getting a good sear on all sides. To turn, use tongs on the lamb itself, rather than being tempted to pick up by the skewers- it will help the lamb stay on. Once the lamb is seared on all sides, turn the grill off, cover it, letting the lamb rest inside for a few minutes while you get the plates ready.
7. Toss the salad, and place a smear of yogurt dill sauce on one half of the plate. Top the sauce with 2-3 skewers. Mound the salad on the other half and serve immediately.