Recipes Turkish Shish Kebabs with Garlicky Tahini 5.0 (3,387) Add your rating & review Turkish pit masters devised an ingenious "divide and conquer" approach to shish kebabs: They grill the meat and vegetables separately to allow foods with different cooking times to reach the perfect degree of doneness. Serve with a creamy tahini sauce. By Steven Raichlen Updated on November 7, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © William Meppem Yield: 4 Cooks throughout the Middle and Near East serve this creamy, garlicky tahini as a sauce for grilled lamb. It is also wonderful with chicken or swordfish. Ingredients Garlicky Tahini 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 1/3 cup tahini 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/3 cup water 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley Shish Kebabs 6 garlic cloves, crushed 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 teaspoon dried mint 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 1/2 pounds trimmed boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes 1 small bunch of fresh mint 1 large red onion, cut into 2-inch pieces 1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces Vegetable oil, for the grill Lemon wedges and pita bread, for serving Directions Make the Garlicky Tahini sauce In a blender, puree the garlic with the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, water, salt, and pepper until smooth. If the sauce appears thick, add a little more water. Scrape the sauce into a bowl, sprinkle with the parsley. Make the Shish Kebabs In a large bowl, combine the garlic with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, salt, pepper, dried mint, and oregano. Add the lamb, toss to coat, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 3 hours. Thread the lamb onto skewers, placing 1 fresh mint leaf between the pieces of meat. Skewer alternate pieces of onion and bell pepper and brush lightly with olive oil. Light a grill. Lightly brush the grate with vegetable oil and grill the lamb and vegetables over a medium-hot fire, turning frequently, until the lamb is medium, about 6 minutes, and the vegetables are tender and lightly charred, about 8 minutes. Let the kebabs stand for 2 minutes, then serve with the Garlicky Tahini, lemon wedges, and pita bread. Make ahead The Garlicky Tahini sauce can be refrigerated for 1 week. Bring to room temperature and stir before serving. Suggested Pairing The berrylike fruit of a young, robust Zinfandel has an affinity with grilled lamb, especially when the dish includes pungent garlic and herbs. Rate it Print