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Lamb and apricot sosaties

Sosaties are South African meat skewers, commonly featuring lamb. They are a traditional delicacy, bursting with flavors and enjoyed as a popular culinary treat.

Preparation time
overnight

Cooking time
30 mins to 1 hour

Serves
Makes 8 skewers

By Genevieve Taylor
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

For the marinade

  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 3 bay leaves, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 5 tbsp apricot jam
  • 5 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • freshly ground black pepper

For the skewers

  • 900g/2lb lamb neck fillet, cut into 1cm½in discs
  • 1 small red onion, cut into 6–8 wedges and slivers pulled apart
  • 100g/3½oz dried apricots

Method

  1. To make the marinade, place the cumin and coriander seeds and cardamom pods in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Toast for a couple of minutes until they smell fragrant, then tip into a pestle and mortar and roughly grind.

  2. Pour the oil into the pan, add the onion, bay leaves and salt and cook very gently for 15–20 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, crushed spices, turmeric and cinnamon and cook for another minute. Spoon in the jam and add the vinegar, along with a good grind of black pepper. Cook for a few minutes until the jam has melted and you have a sticky sauce. Pour into a large bowl and set aside to cool completely.

  3. Once the marinade is cold, add the lamb and stir thoroughly to coat each piece. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 24 hours (or longer if possible).

  4. When ready to cook, fire up a barbecue ready for direct grilling, leaving a good area of the grill surface with no coals underneath so the skewers can be taken off the direct heat if they are cooking too fast. The sugary jam can make them prone to catching.

  5. Thread the lamb onto metal skewers, alternating with the slivers of onion and apricots. Lay the skewers on the grill bars over the fire and cook for 8–10 minutes, until the lamb is cooked and the apricots are lightly charred. Serve hot from the grill.

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