Courgette-wrapped lamb kebabs

These can either be a main course – served with some rice or bulgur – or else pared down to a starter or nibble. The courgette wrapping is impressive but not necessary and the kebabs also work well as finger food, with a squeeze of lemon, if you want to do without the sauce. Either way, the recipe is wonderfully versatile, depending on what you have in your cupboards. Leftover cooked potato or couscous can be used instead of the bread, for example, if you have some lying around. The herbs and spices can also be adapted: some ground or fresh coriander or mint are both nice additions or substitutions

General

Source: Ottolenghi

Ingredients

• 50g stale white bread, crusts removed
• 300g minced lamb
• 55g feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 1½ tsp ground allspice (pimento)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 egg
• 15g parsley, finely chopped
• light olive oil for frying, plus a little extra for brushing
• 1 medium courgette
• salt and black pepper

Sauce

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 400g Italian tinned chopped tomatoes
• a pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 10 basil leaves

Procedure

1. Start by making the sauce. Place the olive oil and crushed garlic in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes, just until the garlic cooks lightly. Add the tinned tomatoes and season with the chilli flakes and some salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle heat and simmer for 25 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.
2. Toast the pine nuts in a small, dry frying pan for 4-5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, just until they get a little colour. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
3. Soak the bread in cold water for 2 minutes, then drain and squeeze to remove most of the water. Crumble the bread into a large mixing bowl and add the lamb, crumbled feta, pine nuts, spices, garlic, egg, chopped parsley, ½ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Time to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. Mix all of the ingredients together with your hands until well combined; do not overwork the mixture. Shape it into fingers, roughly 10cm by 5cm. There should be 12.
4. Pour a 5mm depth of olive oil into a large frying pan and shallow-fry the kebabs for 1 minute on each side or until they have taken on a nice brown colour. Remove from the pan and set aside on a baking tray.
5. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas Mark 7. To prepare the courgettes, use a small knife to slice off both ends and then cut long, thin slices down the length of each courgette (a mandolin will make this job much easier). You will need 12 slices. Brush each slice with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place a ridged griddle pan over a high heat and leave it there for a few minutes to heat up well. Lay the courgette slices on the hot pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side, so that they get distinctive char marks. Remove to a tray and leave to cool.
6. Wrap each meat finger in a slice of courgette and arrange them in a single layer in a baking dish, seam-side down. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until cooked through.
7. To serve, bring the sauce back to the boil, tear the basil leaves roughly and stir them in. Arrange the kebabs on serving plates and spoon the sauce over. Drizzle with a little olive oil to finish.