Lamb skewer bowls with rice, potatoes and hummus

COOK IT AT HOME

Lamb skewer bowls with rice, potatoes and hummus

Tender lamb cubes, browned potatoes and a simple salad make a complete home version of a skewer bowl. This recipe includes the rice and accompaniments instead of stopping at the marinade. It is an original home-cooking interpretation of the menu combination, not the restaurant formula or its three-day preparation process. Start the potatoes before grilling so the lamb can be served promptly after its rest.

Makes

4 bowls; 8 small skewers

Prep

30 minutes

Cook

45 minutes

Additional time

2–8 hours refrigerated marinating; 3 minutes lamb resting

A home-kitchen recipe to accompany this guide. Ingredient brands and equipment can change cooking times; use the texture and doneness cues below.

Ingredients

• 1½ lb boneless lamb leg, trimmed and cut into 1¼-inch cubes
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 5 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1½ teaspoons fine salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed
• 1½ cups water for rice
• 1 lb potatoes, cut into ¾-inch cubes
• 4 cups chopped romaine
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup prepared hummus
• 4 small pita breads

Step-by-step method

1. Combine lamb with 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, oregano, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover and refrigerate 2–8 hours. Use metal skewers, or soak wooden ones in water for 30 minutes before threading.
2. Heat oven to 425°F. Toss potatoes with 2 tablespoons oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Spread on a metal baking sheet in one uncrowded layer. Roast 30–40 minutes, turning after 20 minutes, until golden and fully tender.
3. Put rinsed rice, 1½ cups water and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and cook on low for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and rest covered 10 minutes before fluffing. Follow the rice package if it calls for a different liquid ratio.
4. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 3 tablespoons lemon juice with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Keep dressing separate from romaine, cucumber and tomatoes until serving.
5. Heat a grill or ridged grill pan to medium-high. Thread lamb onto eight skewers, leaving slight gaps. Grill 8–12 minutes, turning every 2–3 minutes, until the thickest cubes reach at least 145°F. Transfer to a clean plate and rest at least 3 minutes.
6. Warm pita in a dry skillet for 20–30 seconds per side. Toss the salad with dressing. Divide rice, potatoes and salad between four bowls, add ¼ cup hummus to each and place two lamb skewers on top. Serve pita alongside.

Helpful tips & substitutions

• Use a thermometer rather than aiming for a color description such as medium rare.
• For more tender cubes remove tough silver skin before marinating; acid does not remove connective tissue.
• If the grill is small, cook two batches and keep the first loosely covered rather than packing all skewers together.

Storage & make-ahead

Refrigerate meat, rice and potatoes in separate shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. Use within 3–4 days and reheat hot components to 165°F. Keep salad and cold sauces separate; dressed salad is best eaten the same day.

How to serve it

A small dish of pickled turnips adds acidity without requiring another cooked side.