Pesto lamb skewers

Tender lamb marinated in a zesty spice blend, served with a fresh salad and homemade pesto - your all-in-one BBQ line-up! #RecipeForLife

• serves

  8

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 kg leg of lamb, boned
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp baharat spice blend
• sea salt, to taste
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil 

Pesto

• 2 cups coarsely chopped parsley
• 80 g (½ cup) toasted pine nuts
• 2 tbsp toasted almond kernels
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp harissa paste, or to taste
• 250 ml (1 cup) olive oil, plus extra if required
• 1 pomegranate, seeded
• 1 cup chopped mint 

Dressing

• 80 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tbsp honey

Salad

• 2 bunches asparagus, cut into thirds
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 red onions, very finely sliced
• 1 bunch radishes, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 2 cups rocket leaves
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 2 tbsp chopped chervil

Resting time: 10 minutes

Marinating time: 10 minutes

Instructions

Preheat a barbecue flat plate to high. 

Cut the lamb into 2-3 cm cubes and place in a bowl. Place the garlic, baharat, salt and lemon zest in a mortar and pestle and pound until smooth. Stir in the sesame oil and olive oils and stir to combine. Pour over the lamb, combine well and set aside for 10 minutes for flavours to infuse.

Meanwhile, for the pesto, in a mortar and pestle, pound together the parsley, nuts, lemon juice and harissa until a paste forms. Stir in the olive oil, then add the pomegranate seeds and mint. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Pour into a serving bowl and set aside.

For the dressing, place all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine well. Season to taste.

For the salad, place the asparagus in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season to taste. Grill for 2-3 minutes, turning regularly until lightly charred and just softened. 

To cook the lamb, thread the meat onto metal skewers and chargrill, turning, for 5-8 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Remove, place on a tray, cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes. 

Place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, pour over the dressing and gently toss. Place on a large platter and serve with the lamb skewers and pesto. 

Shane Delia's Recipe For Life is available on SBS On Demand. You can find the recipes and more features from the show here. 

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.