Barbecued meatball kebabs

Fire up the barbecue and bring out the flavour of these Middle Eastern-style lamb meatballs. They're spiced with harissa, mint, coriander and ras el hanout

Prep:30 mins
Cook:10 mins
Direct heat

Serves 4
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 351
fat 23g
saturates 8g
carbs 8g
sugars 7g
fibre 5g
protein 25g
salt 0.3g

Ingredients

¼ red onion
400g lamb mince
1 tsp ras el hanout
1 tsp harissa (optional)
2 mint sprigs, finely chopped, plus some whole leaves to serve
4 coriander sprigs, finely chopped, plus some whole leaves to serve
1 pack padron peppers or mild green chillies
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, quartered
flatbreads (or gluten-free alternative), to serve
cucumber and carrot matchsticks and red onion slices, all soaked in lemon juice, to serve
chilli flakes, to serve (optional)
3 tbsp natural yogurt
2 tbsp tahini

Method

Heat your barbecue for cooking over direct heat. Very finely chop the onion and put it in a bowl with the lamb mince, ras el hanout, harissa (if you want a hit of chilli), coriander and mint, and season. Use your hands to squeeze and mix everything together, then divide the mixture into 12-16 portions and roll each one into a ball. Mix the ingredients for the tahini sauce, adding a splash of water if it’s a bit too thick.
Thread the meatballs onto skewers, alternating them with padron peppers or chillies. Use two meatballs for short skewers, and three or four for longer ones.
The coals are ready when they’re ash coloured and glowing red. Cook the meatballs, turning the skewers every now and then so they colour on all sides – they should take 10 mins at the most. Put the lemon cut-side down on the grill to soften and mark it. When the skewers are cooked, briefly barbecue the flatbreads. Serve the skewers with the flatbreads, sauce, lemon, veg and the coriander, mint and chilli flakes scattered over, if you like.