Recipes: Time to get the barbecue ready

Apr 7 2008 by Sheila Benson and Sean Millar, Liverpool Daily Post

WITH the bonkers weather we've been having lately, you'd be forgiven for laughing at the mere suggestion that you have a barbecue.

However, this week is all about skewers.

For Lamb Kofta Skewers with tomato rice and Sumac fried onions (serves six) take: 500g (1lb) minced lamb, two white onions, coarsely grated, a handful each of finely chopped flat leaf parsley and mint leaves, 2 tbsp olive oil.

For the tomato rice: 300g (10oz) basmati rice, 1kg (2lbs) tomatoes, coarsely grated (skins discarded), eight black peppercorns, two bay leaves, 1 tbsp whole cardamom, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp white sugar.

For the onions: 60 ml (2 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil, two white onions, thinly sliced, 1 tbsp Sumac (available from Mattas on Bold Street), ¼ tsp all spice.

Combine the lamb, onions, herbs, spices and season generously with sea salt and black pepper. Mix and cover with plastic wrap, refrigerating for 20 minutes. Divide the mixture into six and mould each portion into a long sausage around a skewer. Refrigerate for another 20 minutes.

For tomato rice, rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear, transfer to a saucepan, add the remaining ingredients and season with sea salt. Add enough water to just cover the rice, bring to the boil over a medium heat, stir, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and stand, covering for 10 minutes before serving.

For the Sumac onions, heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, add the remaining ingredients, saute for 12-15 minutes or until soft and golden.

Preheat the grill, drizzle the kofta with oil and cook, turning for six-seven minutes. Serve with tomato rice, sumac onions and Greek-style flat bread.

Next, try Moroccan beef kebabs with harissa chips and grilled vegetable salad (serves four-six). You will need: one piece of beef fillet (about 650g/1½ lb) trimmed and cut into 5 cm (2 inch) cubes, 2 tbsp Ras El Hanout (Moroccan spice blend containing 50 spices), 125 ml (4 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil.

For the grilled vegetable salad take three green peppers, six small tomatoes, two Spanish onions (unpeeled), ½ head of garlic (unpeeled), 80 ml (2½ fl oz) extra virgin olive oil, juice of one lemon, 1 tbsp Ras El Hanout, 1 tbsp grated lemon zest, ¼ tsp ground cumin.

For the harissa chips: 1 tbsp harissa (try Mattas on Bold Street or specialised food stores), 1 tsp nut oil (optional), 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vegetable oil for deep frying, three large Maris Piper potatoes peeled, cut lengthways (1 cm/½in thick) and soaked in cold water.

Combine the beef, Ras El Hanout and oil in a bowl, season, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Grill the peppers, turning occasionally until almost blackened, remove, peel and remove the seeds. Thickly slice and place in a bowl. Grill the tomatoes, turning until tender and beginning to blacken. Remove, halve and add to the bowl. Grill the onions and garlic, turning until tender and beginning to blacken.

Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Cut the onion into eighths. Add these and the remaining ingredients to the bowl and season.

For harissa chips, combine harissa and oil into a small bowl. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer or a large saucepan to 150°C/300°F. Drain potatoes and pat dry then deep fry in two batches for six minutes or until cooked through. Drain on absorbent paper. Increase the heat to 180°C/350°F and deep fry the potato for another three-five minutes or until golden and crisp. Drain and drizzle with harissa oil just before serving.

Meanwhile heat the grill, thread four-six pieces of beef onto each of eight metal skewers and cook for three-five minutes on each side using the marinade to baste occasionally. Serve with salad and chips.