Lemon and oregano lamb with cucumber yoghurt

Name: Lemon and oregano lamb with cucumber yoghurt
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1kg trimmed, skinless lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm chunks 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying herbs to serve 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped juice of 1 lemon 2 tsp fresh oregano leaves, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus extra to serve sea salt and freshly ground pepper 8 wooden skewers

Neil Perry

November 30, 2016

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:4

These skewers can be made with your favourite meat or even a firm, white-fleshed fish or tuna cubes. The cucumber yoghurt is so simple, and is awesome with roast chicken, too – in fact, you'll find it's great with lots of dishes. Marinate the meat an hour before cooking.

Ingredients

1kg trimmed, skinless lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm chunks
4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying herbs to serve
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp fresh oregano leaves, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus extra to serve sea salt and freshly ground pepper
8 wooden skewers

For the yoghurt

1 Lebanese cucumber
¼ tsp sea salt
250g Greek-style natural yoghurt freshly ground white pepper
½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
½ tsp finely chopped garlic
½ tsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

Step 1
In a large bowl, place the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, herbs and seasoning and whisk to combine. Add the meat, coat well, cover with cling fi lm and place in fridge for a least one hour.
Step 2
At the same time, place wooden skewers in a container, cover with water and leave to soak for at least an hour. This prevents them from scorching when grilling.
Step 3
Preheat barbecue or grill pan on medium-high.
Step 4
Drain the meat pieces from the marinade. Thread the pieces onto the skewers. Place skewers on barbecue, cook for about 2-3 minutes, then turn and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until meat is browned on the outside but still pink in the middle. Remove from heat, cover with foil and allow to rest somewhere warm.
Step 5
For the cucumber yoghurt, cut the cucumber in half, scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon, and discard. Thickly grate the cucumber into a fi ne strainer. Press on the cucumber flesh to extract any excess liquid. Discard the liquid and place the pulp in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients, mix and check seasoning.
Step 6
Place skewers on a large platter and serve with a bowl of cucumber yoghurt on the side. Fry extra herbs in a little olive oil until slightly wilted (about 1 minute), sprinkle over the skewers, and serve.