Chef Johns Kofta Kebabs Recipes

KOFTA KEBABS

Steps:

• Mash the garlic into a paste with the salt using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a chef's knife on your cutting board. Mix the garlic into the lamb along with the onion, parsley, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, ginger, and pepper in a mixing bowl until well blended. Form the mixture into 28 balls. Form each ball around the tip of a skewer, flattening into a 2 inch oval; repeat with the remaining skewers. Place the kebabs onto a baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate.
• Cook the skewers on the preheated grill, turning occasionally, until the lamb has cooked to your desired degree of doneness, about 6 minutes for medium.

TURKISH CHICKEN KEBABS

Steps:

• Whisk yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, ketchup, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, cumin, black pepper, paprika, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
• Place chicken thigh halves into the yogurt marinade and coat them thoroughly on all sides. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 8 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Using 2 skewers for each kebab, thread half of the chicken thighs onto each pair of skewers making a fairly thick "log" shape.
• Place kebabs on grill. Do not try to turn them until they begin to unstick from the grill, 3 or 4 minutes. Turn kebabs and grill the other side 3 or 4 minutes; turn. Continue cooking and turning until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 6 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

BOB'S KABOBS

Steps:

• Combine cumin, coriander, Aleppo chile flakes, salt, cayenne, and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well to combine. Use your spoon to push off about 1/3 of the spice blend to the side.
• Place ground lamb in a mixing bowl and add 2/3 of the spice blend along with 2 tablespoons cold water. Mix with by hand until thoroughly combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• While meat is chilling, place bamboo skewers in water to soak for 1 hour.
• Remove meat from the refrigerator and roll into 8 equal-sized meatballs using slightly damp hands. Skewer each meatball through the center and shape into an oval, about 3 inches long. Use your fingers to taper each end of the kabob down to a point where it meets the skewer. Place on a plate and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes, or until ready to grill.
• Whisk Greek yogurt, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup water together in a bowl until smooth and combined. Refrigerate until serving.
• Stir sumac into the remaining 1/3 spice blend. Remove kabobs from the refrigerator and sprinkle spices on top.
• Preheat an outdoor charcoal grill to medium-high heat.
• Grill kabobs over charcoal, turning occasionally, until browned and firm, 10 to 12 minutes total. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a kabob should read at least 135 degrees F (57 degrees C). Serve with yogurt sauce.

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.

KOFTA KEBABS

Steps:

• For the tzatziki sauce: Strain Greek yogurt through a paper-towel lined colander and let sit for 3 hours to thicken, refrigerated.
• Fold the yogurt with cucumbers, fresh lemon juice, mint, crushed garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the harissa sauce: Char red bell peppers over an open flame, then remove seeds and clean the skin.
• Boil Fresno chiles in salted water in a pot on medium heat until the vegetables start to soften. Drain, then deseed and remove the membranes of the chiles.
• Toast cumin seeds, coriander and caraway seeds in a skillet until fragrant. Crush the toasted spices in a spice grinder with mint and salt until finely ground.
• Blend the spice mixture with the roasted red bell peppers, Fresno chiles, vegetable oil, garlic and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle in olive oil while blending.
• For the tahini sauce: Blend tahini, water, lemon juice, salt and garlic.
• For the kebabs: Mix ground beef, allspice, nutmeg, salt, cinnamon, pepper, ginger, garlic, onion and parsley in a bowl by hand, then refrigerate overnight.
• Form the mixture into 4 to 6 balls, then put each on a metal skewer. Lengthen the meat into elongated kebab shapes and grill over medium heat, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Warm the pita with a little butter and swipe with the tzatziki sauce. Top with the kebab, then squirt with tahini sauce and harissa sauce.