Lamb Kofta

Name: Lamb Kofta
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Middle East / Eastern Mediterranean
Ingredients: 700 g (1½ lb) ground lamb, about 20% fat; 1 onion, small, grated and squeezed of juice; 2 cloves garlic, grated; 20 g (¾ cup) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 10 g (⅓ cup) mint, finely chopped; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp sweet paprika; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp chili flakes or Aleppo pepper; 9 g (1½ tsp) fine sea salt, about 1.3% of the meat; 1 tbsp olive oil, for brushing; Tzatziki or Tahini Sauce, warm Pita Bread, sliced red onion, tomatoes, lemon, kofta are gluten- and dairy-free; pita adds gluten, tzatziki milk, tahini sesame

Juicy, spiced lamb skewers with herbs and a char

Makes: 8 skewers
Hands-on: 25 min
Total: 55 min
Level: Easy

Kofta are seasoned ground lamb pressed around skewers and grilled fast over high heat. Kneading the mixture until sticky gives a tender, springy texture that grips the skewer, and grated onion keeps them juicy.

Ingredients

700 gground lamb (1½ lb)about 20% fat
1onionsmall, grated and squeezed of juice
2 clovesgarlicgrated
20 gflat-leaf parsley (¾ cup)finely chopped
10 gmint (⅓ cup)finely chopped
2 tspground cumin
2 tspground coriander
1 tspsweet paprika
½ tspground cinnamon
½ tspchili flakes or Aleppo pepper
9 gfine sea salt (1½ tsp)about 1.3% of the meat
1 tbspolive oilfor brushing

To serve

Tzatziki or Tahini Sauce, warm Pita Bread, sliced red onion, tomatoes, lemonkofta are gluten- and dairy-free; pita adds gluten, tzatziki milk, tahini sesame

Allergens: gluten, milk, sesame
Origin: Middle East / Eastern Mediterranean
Season: Summer

Method

If using wooden skewers, soak 8 of them in water for 30 minutes. 30 min
Put the lamb, onion, garlic, herbs, spices and salt in a bowl. Knead with your hands for 2–3 minutes until the mixture turns sticky and holds together in a ball.
Divide into 8. With wet hands, press each portion around a skewer into a sausage about 12 cm (5 in) long, squeezing it on firmly. Chill for 15 minutes while the grill heats. 15 min
Set up the grill for direct high heat, about 250°C (475°F) under the lid. Clean and oil the grate well.
Brush the kofta with oil. Grill over direct heat, turning every 2 minutes, until browned and charred in spots and the inside reaches 71°C (160°F), 8–10 minutes. 9 min
Rest 3 minutes, then serve with tzatziki, pita, onion, tomatoes and lemon.

Why it works

Salt dissolves some of the meat proteins (myosin), and kneading makes them link into a sticky network; that is what holds kofta on the skewer and gives a springy, tender bite instead of a crumbly one. Squeezing the grated onion removes water that would make the mixture loose, while leaving its flavor.

Common mistakes

Under-kneading: the kofta fall off the skewer into the coals.
Lean meat: you need about 20% fat, or they turn dry.

Variations

Beef kofta: Use ground beef with 20% fat and add 1 tsp ground allspice.
As patties: Shape into 8 small flat patties and grill or pan-fry 3–4 minutes per side.

Make ahead and storage

Shape up to 1 day ahead and keep covered in the fridge. Raw kofta freeze for 2 months.

Notes

Grill-pan/oven fallback: cook on a very hot oiled ridged grill pan, turning, for 8–10 minutes, or under a hot oven grill (broiler) on a rack, 8 cm from the element, turning every 3 minutes, to 71°C (160°F). The kofta alone are gluten- and dairy-free; gluten comes only from the pita, milk from the tzatziki and sesame from the tahini sauce.