Lamb Souvlaki recipe

Lamb Souvlaki by Maria Bernadis on SBS radio and SBS online.

How delighted I was to try this recipe for Souvlaki. So simple. Great for summer and the BBQ – or – even if you don’t have a BBQ or if you’d like to say indoors – then just cook this dish indoors on a grill or in a frypan. As Maria confides, the secret in the cooking, is to make sure the grill or pan is very hot.

The recipe is so quick and easy peasy. Fast fresh food! It makes me wonder why people would go and buy take away when it is so simple and quick and satisfying to prepare something like this at home. Anyone can cook this! And it tastes great. The Greek use of lemon with lamb is a favourite flavour combination. I just love the lift of freshness the lemon gives.

Lamb Souvlaki

Recipe from Maria Benardis, Founder of Greekalicious and author “My Greek Family Table”.

Makes 10

When Ancient Greeks sacrificed animals to the gods the ritual was carried out with a sword. The sacrificial meat would then be placed on the sword for the ceremony and the meat would be offered for consumption off the sword after it had been cooked. The word souvlakia has originated from this ancient ritual. The Greek word souvla means both skewer and sword. When you consume a souvlakia you are eating a ‘little sword’.

Lamb souvlaki is the king of all souvlakia and a great dish to add to your next BBQ. In Greece it is a popular Greek fast food and is eaten as is or wrapped in pita bread with some tzatiki, salad and fried potatoes on the side.

It is also made with pork, chicken or vegetables and can add haloumi pieces to this recipe if you wish.

Ingredients:

For souvlakia

1 kg leg of lamb, deboned or lamb mini roast
sea salt and cracked pepper
1–2 teaspoons dried wild oregano
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, cut into cubes
1 red capsicum (pepper) seeded and cut into chunks
2 lemons, cut into wedges
tzatziki, to serve

Method:

Place the souvlakia skewers in some water and soak them for 1-2 hours. This will ensure they do not burn when the souvlakia are cooked.

Cut the lamb into pieces and remove any excess fat. Place the pieces in a bowl.

Season the lamb pieces with some sea salt and cracked pepper. Add the oregano and olive oil and mix through well.

Drain the souvlaki sticks and thread a couple of pieces of lamb onto a skewer then an onion segment another couple of pieces piece of lamb, a piece of capsicum followed by another couple of pieces of lamb. Repeat with the remaining skewers, lamb, onion and capsicum.

Heat and oiled grill tray or BBQ and place the souvlakia on it. Cook them on both sides until they are lightly brown and the lamb is cooked, about 5 minutes on each side.

Place the souvlakia on a plate and cover with alfoil and let them rest for 5 minutes.

Serve with the lemon wedges and some tzatziki on the side.

This is a great recipe for all the family. Cooking is so much more fun when everyone can get involved. Perhaps for safety’s sake, leave the cubing of the meat to an adult hand. My butcher was upset that I didn’t let him do it. As in the recipe, I like to carefully cube the meat myself to make sure each cube is the same size and the cubes will then cook evenly. Under supervision, the skewering of the ingredients and the cooking on the BBQ or in the pan, can be great fun for the kids. Summer holiday magic.

Sharing recipes is one of life’s joys! This radio programme and podcast and recipe featuring Maria Bernadis was enriched by her story – the history of eating from swords which has evolved into the eating on skewers of today. While I read and cooked from the written recipe, I was delighted to have the chance to also listen to the podcast. There were a few more hints from Maria in the podcast (like have the pan very hot!) and listening to her voice, it felt like I a friend was personally sharing her recipe with me over the kitchen table.

As with all recipes, it is fun once you are confident to add your own signature. So on my second attempt, I added my own update, and used rosemary branches as the skewers. Thanks Maria. Thanks SBS.