Lamb Skewers with Mint Pesto
Inspired by techniques from Bon Appétit.
Cubes of leg of lamb are rubbed with garlic and ground coriander, then threaded with red pepper and onion and barbecued hot and fast to medium-rare. A coarse mint and coriander pesto, loosened with olive oil and sharpened with parmesan and lemon, is drizzled over at the end rather than cooked with the meat.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Make the mint pesto. Pulse the mint, coriander, pine nuts, parmesan, lemon juice, garlic and fine salt in a food processor to a coarse purée. With the machine running, slowly pour in the olive oil and purée until almost smooth. Transfer to a bowl, then taste and season with a pinch more salt and pepper if needed, in small steps.
- 2
Season the lamb. Mix the olive oil, minced garlic, fine salt and ground coriander in a medium bowl. Add the lamb cubes and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.
- 3
Light the barbecue. Prepare a charcoal or gas barbecue for medium-high heat.
- 4
Thread the skewers. Thread the lamb onto the skewers, alternating with the pepper and onion squares. Set on a baking tray, brush all over with the extra olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper.
- 5
Barbecue the skewers. Cook the skewers over the heat, turning occasionally, until done to your liking, 7-9 minutes for medium-rare (a chef target of about 52 °C).
- 6
Serve. Arrange the skewers on a platter and drizzle each lightly with the mint pesto. Serve the remaining pesto alongside.
Storage
Refrigerate leftover lamb skewers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; store any leftover pesto separately, covered, for up to 2 days. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Why this label?
30.8 g protein for 579 kcal = 5.3 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 21% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
EU nutrition claims
- Low sugars: 1.8 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 250 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0 g per serving
0 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- food processor
- chef's knife
- chopping board
- medium bowl
- small bowl
- 6-8 metal skewers
- charcoal or gas barbecue
- basting brush
- tongs
- platter
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 579 kcal |
| Protein | 30.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 11 g |
| of which sugars | 4.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 46.2 g |
| of which saturates | 12.5 g |
| Fibre | 3 g |
| Salt | 1.63 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.3 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
