Lamb Shashlik Recipe: Russian-Style Lamb Shashlik Kebabs

This lamb shashlik recipe soaks cubes of lamb shoulder in white wine, cider vinegar, onion, garlic and bay before searing them on skewers. So it feeds 4 to 6, at about 550 calories each across 6 servings with both sauces, and takes 2 hours 50 minutes including marinating.

Shashlik is the kebab of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, where meat sits in a sharp vinegar or wine marinade, and this version uses both. So the cloves, cinnamon and paprika stay in the background, while a soured cream dip and fresh plum sauce do the talking.

A griddle pan or barbecue heated until it’s properly smoking is what gives shashlik its dark, charred crust. Because shoulder is fattier than leg and has had hours in the marinade, it takes 3 to 4 minutes a side and stays juicy.

Lamb Shashlik Recipe: Russian-Style Lamb Shashlik Kebabs

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Grilling Cuisine:British Russian Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 25 minutesCook time: 25 minutesRest time:2 hours Total time:2 hours 50 minutesServings:6 servingsCalories:550 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Sliced onion, garlic and crumbled bay go into a wine and cider vinegar marinade with paprika, cloves and cinnamon, and the lamb soaks for hours. Meanwhile soft simmered plums become a sieved sauce with chilli and dill, so the grilled skewers arrive with a sweet and a cool side. And it’s adapted from Meat Feasts by Si King and Dave Myers.

Ingredients

For the lamb

• 1kg lamb shoulder, cut into cubes

For the marinade

• 1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
• 100ml white wine
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 bay leaves, crumbled
• 1 tsp paprika
• 4 cloves
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soured cream dip

• 200g soured cream
• handful of dill, finely chopped
• handful of coriander, finely chopped
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• pinch of sugar

For the plum sauce

• 300g ripe plums, stoned and diced
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 red chilli, or 1 tsp ground chilli
• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
• 2 tbsp finely chopped dill

Instructions

1. Marinate the lamb: Mix the oil, wine, vinegar, onion, garlic, bay, paprika, cloves and cinnamon in a glass or china bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Then add the lamb and chill, covered, for at least 2 to 3 hours or overnight, while wooden skewers soak for 30 minutes.
2. Make the plum sauce: Put the plums in a saucepan, cover with cold water and simmer until soft. Then strain them, keeping 75ml of the cooking water.
3. Blend and sieve: Blitz the plums with the reserved water, sugar, vinegar and chilli until smooth, then push the sauce through a sieve. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the dill and coriander.
4. Make the dip: Mix the soured cream with the dill, coriander, vinegar and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.
5. Thread the skewers: Thread the lamb onto metal skewers, or onto the soaked wooden ones so they don’t burn on the heat.
6. Cook: Heat a griddle pan or barbecue until very hot and cook the kebabs for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until well charred. Then serve them with the dip, plum sauce and some salad.

FAQs

What is shashlik?

Shashlik is a dish of marinated meat cubes threaded onto skewers and grilled, eaten across Russia, the Caucasus, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. And the name reached English from the Russian shashlyk, which has Turkic roots, while lamb was the original meat before pork and beef.

What is the difference between shashlik and shish kebab?

The two are often treated as the same dish, since both are cubes of meat grilled on a skewer. But shashlik vs shish usually comes down to that sharp marinade, while their Moorish skewers in Mediterranean Adventure lean on lemon, cumin and mint.

And if you want kebabs of a different shape, try this homemade lamb doner kebab or these lighter lamb koftas with lentils.

Can you make shashlik with pork or beef?

Yes, since any meat works, though a fairly fatty cut is best, so pork shoulder is just as good as lamb shoulder here. And beef needs exactly the same griddling time as lamb, but give pork a little longer so it’s cooked right through.

For a slower way with the same cut, there’s also this yoghurt-marinated slow roast lamb shoulder.

How long should you marinate lamb shashlik?

Give it at least 2 to 3 hours in the fridge, though leaving it overnight gives the flavours longer to get into the cubes. And a glass or china bowl is what the recipe asks for, since an acidic marinade can react with metals like aluminium.

What do you serve with lamb shashlik?

The soured cream dip cools things down while the plum sauce brings sweetness and chilli, so a salad is all you need alongside. But some warm flatbread is worth adding too, which is how they serve it, because it mops up every last drop of the juices.