Lamb souvlaki with halloumi salad recipe
This is a great spring or summer barbecue dish for enjoying with family and friends. My old friend Theodore, who used to have the restaurant The Real Greek in Hoxton, east London, shared it with me many years ago.
A Greek-inspired salad makes the perfect match for the souvlaki. You can vary the ingredients – I often add broad beans when they’re in season.
Timings
Prep time: 20 minutes, plus at least 8 hours to marinate
Cook time: 5 minutes
Serves
4-6
Ingredients
For the souvlaki
1kg cubed lamb leg
2 tbsp thyme leaves, chopped
4 garlic cloves,crushed
finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
100ml red wine
160ml olive oil
For the salad
½ cucumber, halved lengthways and diced
2 tomatoes, diced
4 spring onions, thickly sliced
12-15 green olives
a handful of mint leaves
a handful of small salad leaves
juice of ½ lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
1 x 250g block halloumi
Method
Put the meat in a baking tray or dish. Add the thyme, garlic, lemon zest, wine and 100ml of the olive oil. Mix well and season. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours, or preferably overnight.
For the salad, mix the cucumber, tomatoes, spring onions, olives, mint and salad leaves together. Add the lemon juice, 2 tbsp of the olive oil and some salt and pepper.
Half an hour before you want to cook the souvlaki, remove the meat from the fridge and lift it out of the dish, reserving the marinade. Whisk the lemon juice and the remaining 60ml olive oil into the reserved marinade.
Preheat a barbecue or grill. Thread the lamb on to metal skewers (how many you need to use will depend on the size
of the skewers) and brush with the marinade. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until nicely browned but still a little pink.Meanwhile, cut the halloumi into thick slices, pat dry with kitchen paper then brush with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil.
Barbecue or grill alongside the lamb for 1-2 minutes on each side, until well browned. Serve with the salad and lamb.
