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The flavors in these skewers are inspired by North African cuisine, specifically Moroccan tagines, where sweet and savory notes are often beautifully fused. Here, we pair them with a simple yogurt salad that is common in the Levantine region and is especially cooling on hot summer days.
Chef鈥檚 tip: The marinade in this recipe uses Balkan yogurt, which tends to be a little more sour than regular yogurt. If you can鈥檛 find it, regular yogurt works just fine.
Lamb and Apricot Skewers with Cucumber Mint Yogurt
Ingredients
Skewers
- 2 Tbsp. Balkan yogurt or whole-milk regular yogurt
- 1 tsp each ground cumin and smoked paprika
- 1鈦2 tsp sea salt
- 1 lb deboned lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 6鈥8 apricots, halved (or use 3鈦4 cup dried apricots)
- 3 large red onions, cut into 2-inch pieces (or 6鈥8 shallots, halved)
Yogurt
- 3鈦4 cup Balkan yogurt or whole-milk regular yogurt
- 6 Persian cucumbers, finely chopped or grated
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped mint, divided
- 1鈦4 tsp sea salt
Equipment
- 6鈥8 metal or wooden skewers (soaked if using wooden)
Preparation
1. Preheat a greased grill to medium-high.
2. Prepare marinade: In a large bowl, combine yogurt, cumin, paprika, and salt. Add lamb and stir to coat. (TIP:聽If you have more time, you can marinate lamb in yogurt mixture in the refrigerator up to 4 hours.)
3. To each skewer, add 2 pieces of lamb followed by 1 apricot half and then 1 onion piece; repeat. Skewer all remaining ingredients in the same manner.
4. Add skewers to grill and cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until cooked through and browned.
5. Meanwhile, prepare yogurt salad: In a small bowl, combine yogurt, cucumbers, one-half of mint and salt. Garnish with remaining one-half of mint. Serve with skewers.