Souvlaki is my favourite dish from Greece and it is a wonderful dish for summer. It can serve as an appetizer or main course and you can make them from any meat or vegetable combination. I prefer lamb. It is also very healthy and a fantastic addition to your diet menu. Souvlaki is easy to prepare. The lamb should be served pink, so don’t worry about under-cooking.
Ingredients
- 1kg lamb shoulder
- 12 sprigs thyme
- 8 Oregano leaves
- 4 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
- 2 lemons’ zest
- 2 Lemons’ juice
- 200ml Olive Oil
- 50ml Red wine
- Paprika
Method
- Cut the meat into cubes and trim off excess fat. Put the cubes in a bowl and add the herbs, garlic, lemon zest, half the olive oil, red wine and some salt and pepper. Mix it well so that all the meat gets covered.
- Cover with Glad wrap and put it in the fridge for at least two hours, overnight if you can.
If you are using wooden skewers let them soak in water for a little while so that the wood doesn’t burn when you braai. I love using rosemary twigs as skewers, so if you have them in your garden, try it and let me know what you think. - Before putting it on the braai, add the lemon juice and remaining olive oil and mix well. Put the meat on the skewers and brush with the marinade while on the braai. Cook them however you prefer to cook your lamb and sprinkle with paprika before serving.
- I would suggest preparing the tzatziki just before putting the skewers on the braai, because if you do this the day before the cucumber has to be seeded otherwise the tzatziki gets watery, and this is just too much of a mission.
Tzatziki
- 1 Cucumber, peeled and diced
- 350g Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp finely chopped mint
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Mix ingredients together in a serving bowl – dish up and serve.
- I like my Souvlaki with rocket on the side. In Greece they use the same recipe and serve the meat in pita breads– these are called Gyro’s and they are just as delicious.
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