(Almost) June 2017

You may notice that you are receiving this newsletter a few days earlier than usual. That's because, as you are reading this, we shall be on a food research trip to Central Asia, exploring the culinary delights of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. We can't wait to report back on what we find in future newsletters on our return. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this "Almost June" newsletter recipe, which is inspired by our recent visit to the Middle East.

And, don’t forget, please do let me know on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook if you give this month’s recipe a try. I always love to hear back from you.

Cheers,

Simon

SIMON'S FOOD SCHOOL:

Stuff You Didn't Know You Didn't Know About Food

As you can tell from the recipe below, I rather like eating things cooked on skewers. There is something about roasting chunks of marinated meat, or vegetables over an open fire that not only provides a unique taste experience, but helps link us back to the very first meals people prepared when they first began to harness the power of fire. Whether you call then “Kebabs” or “Kebobs,” these delicacies are always a favorite when I prepare them, be that the “Shish Kebab” in which the meat is kept in sizable chunks, or the “Kofta Kebab” where the meat is ground with spices and onions before it is put onto the skewers.

While the first references to kebabs come from Turkey in a script called Kussur-I Yusuf in the 14th Century, the notion of cooking meat on skewers goes back a lot further to the times of the Ancient Greeks and beyond. For nomadic tribes, or armies that were on the move, the time spent roasting whole animals was simply not practical, whereas, by cutting the meat into chunks meant that it could not only be cooked more quickly, using less fuel, but also devoured easily without the need for utensils. Any meat that was left over after the initial butchery of the animal was minced into finer pieces and molded around the skewers (often the swords of soldiers (pdf)) into Kofta like the ones in the recipe below.

As armies moved into lands they had conquered, and as nomadic tribes settled, the practice of cooking kebabs evolved from the rather hurried preparation of roasting meat skewered on swords to become far more elaborate and sophisticated. Tougher cuts of meat could be marinated in yogurt, or ground meat could be elevated with the addiction of onions, spices and fresh herbs making them not only a favorite of the humble foot soldier or cavalry man, but also a delicacy in the courts of the high born. Also, as I have found on my travels, cooking on skewers has traveled far from its near east origins and can be found in places as far flung as Japan (Yakitori), India (Chicken Tikka), South East Asia (Malaysian Satay), and across Africa (Nigerian Suya Kebabs).

I hope the recipe below will inspire you to try preparing delicious kebabs in your own kitchen.

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THE BOOK ZONE

YOUR "FIRST LOOK" RECIPE:

Kofta Kebab

Cooking “stuff on skewers” is a common practice throughout the world, and I can regularly be found chowing down on skewers of lamb or chicken when I visit street markets on my travels. One of my favorite is this recipe for spicy ground lamb kebabs that has its origins in the Ottoman Empire in what is now Turkey.

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These can be cooked outside on the grill, or, as I did, on a cast iron griddle on the stove. You can even bake them at a high heat in the oven.

(Makes approximately eight 6-inch skewers)

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Ingredients

• 2 lbs of Ground Lamb (you can substitute ground beef, chicken or turkey, but lamb gives you the original taste)
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 Tsp Ground Coriander
• 2 Cloves Garlic (finely minced)
• 1 Shallot (finely minced)
• ½ Cup Chopped Cilantro
• Skewers (Traditionally, these are cooked on long flat metal skewers, but can be done on wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for an hour.)

Instructions

1. Combine the ground meat with all the other ingredients in a bowl.  You really need to use your hands and work the meat to make sure everything is fully combined.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for an hour.
3. Soak the wooden skewers for at least an hour.
4. When ready to cook, form a palm sized ball of meat and push the skewer through the meat. 
5. Flatten the meat, spreading it along the skewer until it covers all but the tips.
6. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper
7. Once you have finished all your skewers, place the skewers back in the refrigerator until ready to cook. This will help them set and stop them falling off the skewers.
8. When ready to cook, heat your griddle to a high heat and place the skewers gently on the griddle.
9. Allow to cook on one side for three minutes. Do not move the skewer or the meat will fall off. You need to let the meat cook so it sets on the skewer.
10. After three minutes, gently flip the skewers and cook on the other side for the same time.
11. If you are cooking in batches, keep the cooked skewers warm in a low oven while you cook the rest.
12. Serve the skewers with a simple tomato and cucumber salad, yogurt dip like the raita recipe on this website, and flat bread.
13. Squeeze over a splash of lemon juice before serving.

And, Last But Not Least... Please Check Out: