LAMB SKEWERS WITH MARINATED FETA & TOMATO RELISH

As I mentioned at the end of my previous post, after we got back from Boston and Cape Cod I was a little seafooded out.  I was craving some nice red meat.  During a trip to Trader Joe's to stock up for the week I noticed a packet of lamb loin in the meat case.  Haven't had lamb in quite I while.  I picked one up and tossed it in my basket.  I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do with it so once I got home, I began doing a little research.  Lamb loin, as compared to the leg, is a much leaner meat.  Because of the lack of fat, it's also much healthier.  But because of the lack of fat, it's also a little less flavorful.  A rub or a marinade seemed like a great way to get some flavor in.  I found once recipe that sounded good for a lamb loin crusted with caraway and fennel seeds and then drizzled with a mustard sauce.  It was suggested that the lamb be served with braised cabbage and mashed Yukon Golds.  As good as it sounds, it's a bit heavy for this weather.  Perhaps in November or something.  A number of recipes paired the lamb with white beans, sort of a Frenchy direction, but again, in this heat?  Uh no.  Mediterranean flavors are always great with lamb AND seem very summery, but just marinating it in garlic and rosemary seemed sort of obvious and unimaginative.

It was while I was waiting for a doctor's appointment, flipping through the the August 2007 issue of Martha Stewart Living, that I finally found a recipe that struck a chord.  This was featured in an article called "Flavor on a Stick" focusing on various kebob style recipes.  Although it does start with a simple marinade of rosemary, garlic, and fresh oregano, what made this recipe striking were the accompaniments - a relish of chopped, grilled tomatoes, sauteed shallots and balsamic vinegar and also slices of feta marinated in olive oil and lemon juice and flavored with red pepper flakes, pink and black peppercorns and fresh dill.  How good does that sound? 

INGREDIENTS
(For the Lamb Kebabs)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 to 3 garlic of cloves, minced
1 lb or so of lamb loin (or you could use leg meat), cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 large red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

(For the Tomato relish)
3 tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing tomatoes
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Pinch of cayenne pepper

(For the Marinated Feta)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 thin strip (3 inches long) lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1 teaspoon whole pink peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/2 to 1 pound Greek feta, thinly sliced

METHOD
First marinate the lamb. Place the lamb chunks in a shallow baking dish.  Add the oil, lemon juice, herbs, and garlic. Squidge the lamb around in the marinade making sure it gets coated all over.  Cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

While the lamb is marinating, make the tomato relish.  Preheat a grill pan to medium-high. Brush tomatoes with oil, and season with salt. Grill until charred and softened, about 5 minutes per side.

Remove the tomatoes from the grill pan and let cool on a cutting board.  Coarsely chop, then place in a sieve set over a bowl. Let drain for 10 minutes. Discard liquid.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook shallot until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add water and sugar, and simmer until liquid has reduced by half. Add tomatoes and vinegar, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and the cayenne. Let cool.

Next, make the marinated feta.  Combine oil, lemon zest and juice, dill, pink and black peppercorns, and red-pepper flakes in a nonreactive dish. Add feta, and turn to coat. Marinate until ready to serve.  Don't marinate any longer than 1 hour or the cheese will begin to break down.

Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.  Thread lamb and red onions onto 8 skewers, alternating. Thread a lemon wedge onto one end of each skewer. Season with salt and pepper.

Grill or broil the skewers for about 5 minutes per side.  A meat thermometer inserted into lamb registers 130 degrees for medium-rare and onions and lemons are caramelized. 

To serve, place a skewer on a plate along with several slices of the marinated feta, and a couple spoonfuls of the tomato relish.  To go with the lamb I boiled some orzo which I then tossed with olive oil, lemon juice and some more chopped dill and oregano.  Very nice.

 

I guess it's no surprise that lamb marinated with garlic, fresh oregano and rosemary is going to be a hit.   What I think really makes this sing are the accompaniments.  The salty feta pairs well with the meat, however marinating the cheese imbues it with a really nice kicky heat.  The tomato relish is sweet, tangy and also has whisper of spice.  Spritzing over the charred lemon wedge brings out the freshness of the herbs.  It's the kind of dish where, as great as each individual element is on their own, when everything is combined magic happens.

It's really right with the herbed orzo.  In fact I plan on making more orzo and combining the leftovers together as a big salad, maybe adding some sliced cucumber.  The original recipe suggested serving the dish with a warm pita, which would also be great.

Serves 4 to 6

Comments

[Caryl]

Since I've never eaten lamb
I can only imagine how good
it tastes with the marinade,
etc. Now the toast with
tomatoes and such really
looks yummy. We'll have to
try that the next time you
are at home.

[Lia]

trying this tonite ;) soo excited. love this blog.

[claudia]

ok - you're killing me here. this looks wonderful. i recently did a kibbe recipe from the times sunday mag - but this looks incredible. hats off to you.

[Buy Viagra]

Awesome!!!! I liked this blog very much, specially this recipes because i love the tomatoes like principal ingredient . The tomatoes is rich in antioxidants, have many vitamin and even can help you too keep your youth. So if you don’t eat it frequently I recommend you at least twice per week.

[nike air max]

Excellent post ! You make some brilliantr points liked the idea keep it up

[belstaff bags]

I like your blog, It is very good！I am very happy to leave comment here for you! I hope you come to my site to see!Communicate with each other!

[Penis Enlargement]

The article is worth while reading, I like it very much and which you shared the info in this post is very useful. Thanks for sharing a wonderful post.

[dui lawyer hawaii]

I hope it's not difficult to do it myself.

[cheap android tablet]

Good post. Very impressive. Thanks for sharing.