Spiced Lamb Kofta Kebabs

This post is the accompaniment to Friday's Israeli couscous post. It shows the rest of the meal and I have to say, this was a really delicious, summer-appropriate dinner. It involved the grill, the plates were colorful, and it didn't leave me feeling guilty for gorging like a greedy pig.

As I was editing the photos for this post, I realized that the kofte kebabs look a little turd-like; I apologize for the graphic descriptor. But these were delicious, so please don't let their appearance deter you from reading on. It's not like I personally chose this shape. Every kofte kebab I've ever had has been a sausage-y log-like shape so I'm just following tradition here.

Ingredients [serves 4]:
1 lb. ground lamb
3 slices bacon
10 to 15 sprigs parsley
3 cloves garlic
1 sprig rosemary, stripped
zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

+ lemon & parsley couscous
+ tzatziki
+ roasted chickpeas

Start by adding the bacon, parsley, garlic, and rosemary to a food processor and pulse until the ingredients form a paste. I feel like the rosemary and bacon are odd ingredients, but they're quite important. The rosemary adds a nice earthiness and the bacon adds smokiness to the kofte.

Add the puree to a bowl with the ground lamb. Grate in some nutmeg and lemon zest and pour in the spices and massage to combine.

Divide the meat mixture into eight portions and form into sausage-shaped logs around kebab skewers.

Grill the kebabs on a hot grill (or in the broiler) until browned and lovely. It will take about 12 to 15 minutes to cook through the center, depending on how chubby the kofte are.

Serve the kebabs while they're still nice and hot.

The spicy kofte are so good with the cooling tzatziki. They're full of flavor and a lovely smokiness, thanks to the bacon and the grill, and they're nice and tender. They're amazing with couscous but would also be really good with rice. Actually, this would be so good with my toasted cashew and golden raisin basmati rice. It's great for feeding a crowd and look at how colorful my plate is; so pretty.

Here's the recipe page: