Qodban
Grilled lamb skewers
Qodban: charcoal-grilled skewers of lamb and fat with cumin, from the grills of Marrakech
Smoke rising off long braziers marks the qodban sellers of Marrakech, who thread lamb cubes with little pieces of fat so the meat bastes itself over the coals. Cumin, paprika, grated onion and parsley go on before grilling; more cumin and salt go on after. The result is charred and juicy, fragrant rather than fiery, and eaten straight off the skewer, wrapped in khobz with a little harissa and tomato. Leg or shoulder of lamb both work. Chef's tip: alternate every two pieces of lean meat with one small piece of fat; it melts as the skewer turns and keeps the lean pieces moist.
- Total time
- 28 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb boneless lamb leg or shouldercut into 2.5 cm cubes
- 3 ½ oz lamb fatcut into 1.5 cm pieces (ask the butcher)
- 1 oniongrated, juice squeezed out
- 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
To serve
- 2 tbsp ground cumin mixed with salt (optional)
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Light a charcoal grill and let it burn down to glowing, ash-covered coals, or heat a griddle pan over a high heat. If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water.
10 minStep 2: Mix 1 ½ lb boneless lamb leg or shoulder and 3 ½ oz lamb fat with 1 onion, 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp sweet paprika, ½ tsp ground black pepper and 1 tsp salt. If you have time, leave covered in the fridge for up to 2 hours; it is good without, too.
Step 3: Thread the meat onto skewers, two pieces of lean to one piece of fat, pushing them close together without squashing.
Step 4: Grill for 8–10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until browned and crusty all over and cooked through with no red in the middle. Keep the skewers moving; a common mistake is leaving them over one spot until the fat drips, flares and blackens the meat.
10 minStep 5: Serve at once, sprinkled with 2 tbsp ground cumin mixed with salt.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does qodban take?
- About 28 minutes in total: 18 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of flat-leaf parsley?
- Curly parsley or coriander, same amount.
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