Roman Kebabs Recipes

HOMEMADE DONER KEBAB

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb, egg, garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
• Place the mixture into an oiled 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and cook in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown.
• You can slice the loaf immediately if you like but, for best results, cool completely, wrap in aluminum foil, and refrigerate until firm.
• To reheat, add a little olive oil to a large skillet, slice the loaf very thinly and crisp up the slices in the hot pan for a few minutes.
• Assemble the sandwiches with pita, warmed and toasted through. Spread on some tzatziki or tahini sauce, add lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, and top with more sauce.
• Serve and enjoy.

ROMANIAN CHICKEN KEBABS (FRIGARUI)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Cut the chicken into 1 1/2-inch cubes.
• In a zip-top bag, combine the chopped herbs, pepper, lemon juice, sugar, ginger , garlic, and plain yogurt.
• Add chicken cubes, completely coating all the chicken pieces with marinade , and refrigerate, overnight or at least three hours.
• Gather the ingredients.
• On a work surface, mince the garlic with the salt, crushing with the side of a knife until it is a paste consistency. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle.
• Put the garlic paste in a small bowl. Add the oil. Whisk until well combined and emulsified, about 3 minutes.
• Add sour cream and plenty of black pepper . Mix well. Set aside.
• Prepare a gas or charcoal grill to medium heat (350F to 375F). Thread the chicken pieces on wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for about an hour so they don't catch fire on the grill (or use metal skewers).
• Grill chicken kebabs on greased grates about 10 to 15 minutes or until done, turning several times while cooking. These can also be prepared on an indoor grill, under a broiler or in the oven. Serve with the mujjdei de usturoi sauce.

ROMAN KEBABS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°.
• Soak 4 wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes (can use metal).
• Cut bread into thick slices, and cut mozzarella into 12 slices.
• Slice tomatoes into 3 slices each.
• Combine oil, lemon juice, oregano and seasoning in a shallow dish.
• Brush both sides of bread with oil, thread bread onto skewers, alternating with mozzarella and tomato and finishing with bread.
• Pour any remaining oil over kebabs.
• Place kebabs on a baking sheet, cook for 6-8 minutes, turning halfway through, until bread is crisp and cheese has melted.
• Serve garnished with basil.

PORK KEBABS WITH ROMESCO SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare the kebabs: Combine the cumin, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Stir in the olive oil to make a loose paste. Add the pork and toss to completely coat. Let sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours or refrigerate overnight.
• Make the romesco sauce: Coat a skillet with the olive oil, place over medium heat and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. When the garlic starts to turn golden, add the tomato and piquillo peppers. Season with salt and cook until the tomato is soft and mushy, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; let cool. Preheat a grill to medium. Grill the bread on both sides until toasted. Let cool; cut into cubes. Pulse the almonds and bread cubes in a food processor to form a coarse paste. Add the cooked tomato mixture and toss in the saffron, vinegar and parsley. Pulse to puree. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil or water if the mixture is really thick. Skewer the pork to make kebabs, putting 4 or 5 pieces of meat on each skewer. It's OK if the meat is touching, but do it loosely so the heat reaches all sides of the meat and the pork cooks evenly. Brush the grill with a wire brush and then rub down with an oiled paper towel. Grill the skewers on all sides so each side gets nice and brown (brown food tastes good), 5 to 8 minutes total. Transfer the kebabs to a platter and let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with the romesco sauce. Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

CHEF JOHN'S KOFTA KEBABS

Steps:

• Cut toasted bread slice into thin strips on a cutting board; cut strips across into a small dice.
• Place onion, parsley, and garlic on top of diced bread on the cutting board; chop until mixture resembles tabbouleh.
• Season beef and lamb with kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, paprika, cardamom, nutmeg, and cayenne. Add onion mixture and water. Mix and mash with your hands until well combined.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
• Remove meat from the refrigerator and roll ¼ of the mixture into a ball using wet hands. Pierce in the middle with a bamboo skewer. Shape meat into a uniform log, about 6 inches long and 2 inches wide.
• Meanwhile, preheat a charcoal grill until coals are very hot.
• Place kebabs on the hot grill until browned and cooked through, about 12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes or so. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a kebab should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Serve.

CHICKEN KEBABS

Steps:

• Mix the marinade ingredients with some seasoning. Add the chunks of chicken, mix well, cover and chill. Leave to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Soak 12 bamboo skewers in cold water - this will prevent them burning when cooking (or use metal skewers). Thread the marinated chicken onto the skewers (discard any remaining marinade), alternating with pieces of pepper and onion. Brush the skewers lightly with oil and season.
• Heat the grill to high. Grill the kebabs for 15 minutes, turning every few minutes, until golden and lightly charred. The veg should be tender, and the chicken cooked through, so it easily slides off the skewers.
• Warm the flatbreads in a griddle pan or dry frying pan on a medium heat until golden and toasted. Serve with the kebabs, lettuce, chilli sauce, extra yogurt and squeeze over some lemon just before eating.

MODERN ROMAN LIBUM RECIPE OR ROMAN CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Sift the flour into a bowl. Beat the cheese until it's soft and stir it into the flour along with the egg.
• Form a soft dough and divide into 4.
• Mold each one into a bun and place them on a greased baking tray with a fresh bay leaf underneath.
• Heat the oven to 425°F Cover the cakes [see note on this] and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden-brown.
• Warm the honey and place the warm cakes in it so that they absorb it. Allow to stand 30 minutes before serving.
• NOTE: The Romans often covered their food while it was cooking with a domed earthenware cover called a testo. You can use an overturned, shallow clay pot, a metal bowl, or casserole dish as a brick.

KOREAN KEBABS

Steps:

• Mix oil, soy sauce, and peanut butter together in a bowl until blended and creamy. Stir in spring onion, sesame seeds, garlic, red chile powder, salt, and pepper. Add pork to marinade; turn to coat.
• Marinate pork in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Thread pork, onion, mushrooms, red bell pepper, and zucchini onto skewers. Transfer to the baking sheet. Pour marinade on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pork is tender and browned, about 30 minutes.

KABOB KOOBIDEH (PERSIAN GROUND MEAT KABOBS)

Steps:

• Shave onions with a grater into a fine mesh strainer. Gently press pulp into the strainer to remove juices. Place pulp into the center of the cheesecloth and gently press until no further juice drips out.
• Place lamb and beef in a pot. Add green onion and onion pulp; mix until thoroughly combined. Mix in baking powder, salt, pepper, sumac, and turmeric. Add eggs and mix thoroughly. Cover the pot and place in the refrigerator until flavors have melded, at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Mold meat mixture onto the skewers.
• Cook on the preheated grill, rotating every minute, until nicely browned on all sides, and meat is no longer pink in the center, about 25 minutes.

TURKISH KEBABS

Steps:

• Place the chopped onions in a large ceramic bowl and crush with the bottom of a glass until juice is rendered and onions look translucent. Stir in 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, oregano, 1 teaspoon black pepper, turmeric, curry powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well; add the sliced beef and toss to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
• Combine the sour cream, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, dill, and 1 crushed clove of garlic. Mix well; cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
• Remove the meat from the marinade mixture, brushing off extra onions. Spread the slices on a baking sheet without overlapping, and salt to taste. Broil about 3 minutes per side or until browned and crispy, turning halfway through cooking.
• Divide the cooked meat between the pita breads, and drizzle with tzatziki sauce to serve.