Mini sheep skewers (arrosticini)

Perfect for parties or outdoor picnics, you can prepare these skewers the day before. Just keep them in the fridge wrapped in butcher's paper or baking paper until ready to barbecue.

• makes

  20

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 kg deboned sheep leg meat (use lamb if sheep meat is unavailable), cut into 1–1.5 cm cubes
• salt flakes

Instructions

Soak 20–25 bamboo skewers in water for 1–2 before adding the meat. This will stop them scorching during cooking.

Prepare your hot coals at least 30 minutes before cooking. Naturally you can grill the meat over a gas barbecue, but the flavour won’t be quite as intense.

Thread the meat onto the skewers, making sure the fat layers are evenly distributed. You should aim to get 10–12 cubes of meat on each skewer. Grill the skewers over a moderate fire to prevent them from drying out, turning them regularly. They will take 15–20 minutes to cook through. Season with salt and serve piping hot.

This recipe is from Made in Italy with Silvia Colloca. To find out more about the show, check out the episode guide, or scroll through Silvia's recipes. Tune in at 8pm, Thursday 27 November on SBS ONE.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.