Make the most of the summer sun with a deliciously light barbecue treat of lamb kebabs with orange and watercress couscous.
These balmy summer evenings are perfect for relaxed eating outdoors and this delicious recipe for lamb kebabs on a bed of lemon couscous is so easy to put together it is sure to become a staple of your barbecue repertoire. It isn’t a dish that is wedded to the outdoors, it can be cooked under the grill, depending on whether you are dodging thunderstorms and our notoriously changeable summer weather.
Prep time: 10 minutes + marinating
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 675g/ 1 1/2lb lamb neck fillet, trimmed
- 2 tbsp harissa paste (see cooks tip)
- 1 each red, green and yellow pepper, cored and deseeded
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 225g/8oz couscous
- zest and juice 1 orange
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 (85g) bag watercress, roughly chopped
To serve: watercress and wedges of orange
Lamb kebabs method
Thickly slice the lamb and place in a bowl with the harissa paste and 1 tsp of the olive oil, toss well until the lamb is coated. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Soak 6 bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.
Place the couscous in a large bowl, add the orange zest and juice, oil and 450ml/3/4pt of boiling water from the kettle. Season, then stir in the watercress. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave to soak for 15mins until the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff up the grains with a fork.
Cut the pepper into wedges and toss in the remaining oil. Thread the pepper and marinated lamb onto the soaked skewers. Cook the kebabs over hot barbecue coals or under a hot grill for 10-15mins, turning occasionally until chargrilled on the outside, but still slightly pink on the inside. Serve the kebabs with the couscous and wedges of orange if liked.
Preparation tip
Harissa spice paste goes into many North African – especially Tunisian – dishes. It is a blend of red chillies, garlic, and spices such as caraway seeds and ground coriander. It’s available from most large supermarkets where it’s sold with the dried spices. It tastes fantastic with these lamb kebabs, but if you prefer things a bit less spicy use a teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander, a crushed clove of garlic and the zest and juice of 1 lemon.
If you Exquisite lamb kebabs with orange and watercress couscous has your creative juices flowing, you’ll find more delicious barbecue ideas on our Food and Drink channel.
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Tags: Barbecue, Harissa, lamb kebabs Last modified: June 18, 2023