Turkish Shish Kebabs with Garlicky Tahini

Turkish Shish Kebabs with Garlicky Tahini

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.

Ingredients :

• 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
• 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.