Halabi Lamb Kebab
Charred Onions, Tomatoes, Long Hots
Chef Nick Kennedy of Defined Hospitality | Philadelphia
Yield: Four 4-ounce kebabs
Adapted by StarChefs | April 2019
INGREDIENTS:
Kebab Spice:
4 grams salt
2 grams coriander
1 gram cinnamon stick
1 gram dry allspice berries
1 gram sweet smoked paprika
Lamb Kebab:
303 grams Australian lamb leg meat
152 grams Australian lamb belly
32 grams large diced sweet onion
25 grams diced red bell pepper
17 grams diced poblano pepper
4 grams minced garlic
Charred Vegetables:
2 medium sweet onions
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
2 tomatoes, halved
4 long hots
To Assemble and Serve:
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Finely chopped parsley
Muhammara
Hummus
Fresh pita
METHOD:
For the Kebab Spice:
In separate small sauté pans, toast spices until fragrant and cool to room temperature. In a spice grinder, combine spices and grind to a fine powder.
For the Lamb Kebab:
In a nonreactive container, combine lamb and vegetables and coat with Kebab Spice. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Through a chilled grinder set with a medium die, grind meat mixture. Form ground mixture onto skewers into 4-ounce kebabs. Place on a sheet tray and refrigerate, uncovered, 2 hours.
For the Charred Vegetables:
Prepare and heat hearth with coals. Place onions directly on coals, rotating occasionally and cooking until exteriors are completely charred and centers are soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Quarter charred onions, toss in olive oil, and season with salt. Thread tomato halves onto wide skewers, or multiple thin ones. Season with salt and place cut side very close to coals, turning tomatoes frequently until charred all over but not falling apart, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove tomatoes from skewers, toss in olive oil, and season with salt. Thread long hots onto multiple thin skewers and place very close to coals, turning frequently, until charred all over, about 4 minutes. Remove long hots from skewers, toss in olive oil, and season with salt.
To Assemble and Serve:
Prepare and heat a grill set atop the coal hearth. Lightly season Lamb Kebabs with salt and grill close to very hot coals. Rotate frequently until kebabs are seared on all sides. Cook to medium—they should feel firm and bouncy to the touch. Remove kebabs from skewers and finish with a drizzle of oil and sprinkle of parsley. Place 2 kebab portions on a plate and serve with muhammara, hummus, pita, and Charred Vegetables.
