In the Kitchen In the Kitchen
Grilled Lamb Skewers with Garlic Yogurt Sauce
Chef Bruce Reizenman pairs his lamb skewers with our Frei Brothers Reserve Russian River Valley Syrah. Sonoma County has several small farms that sell fresh, pasture-raised lamb, a wonderful partner for a variety of medium-bodied red wines, including Syrah. Look for pasture-raised lamb at your local farmers' market. Serves six.
Grilled Lamb Skewers
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless leg of lamb, cubed into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp canola or peanut oil
- 4 medium onions, finely chopped
- 1 ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp apricot jam
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ large yellow onion, peeled as layers, cut into 1 inch squares
Instructions
Rub the cubed lamb pieces with crushed garlic, then season and toss with salt and pepper. Let this sit for 1 hour. While the lamb is soaking up these flavors, place a small sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil, onions, spices and bay leaf. Sauté until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the brown sugar, jam, lemon zest, lemon juice and ½ cup water. Boil for 1 minute, remove from heat and let cool. When the mixture is completely cool, pour it over the lamb pieces and toss. Marinate overnight. The following day, skewer the lamb, placing 2 onion squares between each piece, and grill. Serve hot, with Garlic Yogurt Sauce.
Garlic Yogurt Sauce
Hand-folding (rather than using a food processor) enhances the texture of the yogurt. Makes one cup.
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 cup yogurt
- 12 mint leaves
Instructions
Chop the garlic as finely as possible. Place garlic in a small mixing bowl, and fold in the yogurt until the two are well mixed.
Once the sauce is made, let it rest in the refrigerator for several hours to allow the flavors to blend. Just before serving, stack 12 fresh mint leaves and chop them into very fine slivers. Add the mint to the yogurt-garlic sauce and fold in gently. Serve in a rustic ceramic bowl.
