Grilled Lamb And Fig Skewers With Mint Pepper Glaze And Grilled Eggplant Recipes

GRILLED LAMB ON ROSEMARY SKEWERS

Steps:

• Start a charcoal or wood fire or heat a gas grill; fire should be moderately hot. Thread lamb and figs onto rosemary branches, three or four chunks or figs per skewer. Do not mix meat and figs on same skewer.
• Brush lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix together the lemon juice, garlic and minced rosemary and brush a little of this mixture on lamb and figs.
• Grill, turning skewers as each side browns and taking care to avoid flare-ups; total cooking time should be from 6 to 10 minutes for medium-rare meat, and 4 or 5 minutes for the figs. Meat will become slightly more done after you remove it from grill, so take this into account.

GRILLED LAMB AND FIG SKEWERS WITH MINT-PEPPER GLAZE AND GRILLED

Steps:

• Make glaze:.
• In a small saucepan over moderate heat, stir together jam, vinegar, red pepper flakes and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool 5 minutes. Stir in mint and set aside.
• Prepare grill:.
• If using charcoal grill, open vents on bottom, then light the charcoal. Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 4-5 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat grate on high with hood closed for 10 minutes, then turn down to moderate-high.
• Prep lamb:.
• In an electric spice mill or clean coffee grinder, combine cumin and coriander. Pulse several times to grind coarsely and set aside. In a large bowl, toss together lamb, figs and olive oil. Add minced garlic, ground cumin and coriander, salt, and pepper. Mix gently to combine. Thread lamb cubes and figs onto skewers.
• Prep eggplant:.
• Arrange eggplant slices on a platter. Rub each slice on both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Grill lamb and eggplant:.
• Arrange skewers and eggplant on grill. Cook eggplant, turning once, until slices are golden and moist, about 3-4 minutes per side. Cook lamb to slightly less than desired doneness (cubes will continue to cook after being removed from grill), turning once and brushing with glaze during last 30 seconds of grilling on each side, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare.
• Arrange eggplant slices on a serving platter, top with skewers, and serve.

LAMB AND FIG SKEWERS WITH HONEY AND ROSEMARY

Steps:

• If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes. (You don't need to soak metal skewers. If you are broiling the kebabs instead of grilling, skewers are optional.)
• In a large bowl, toss together garlic, rosemary, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper and fish sauce, and stir well to dissolve the salt. Stir in oil.
• Thread the figs on skewers; if you are not using skewers, spread the figs on a baking sheet. Make sure the figs don't touch one another. Brush with some of the rosemary marinade and set the figs aside.
• Add lamb to the bowl with remaining marinade and toss well. If you have time, let lamb marinate in the fridge for several hours, or at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Light the grill or heat the broiler. Thread the lamb on skewers or spread on a baking sheet, leaving room between the pieces to get more of a char. Grill or broil kebabs for 3 to 5 minutes, turning them once. (If broiling, cook as close to the heating element as possible. You don't need to turn them.)
• Sprinkle lamb with fresh mint, then serve lamb and figs with lemon wedges.