Grilled lamb skewers with pistachio butter
Prep time 20 mins
Cook 15 mins
Makes 12 skewers
3
"We have the most wonderful butchers that look after us at the bar and one of my favourite things they do are arrosticinis, traditional lamb skewer typically made in Abruzzo, which is where one of our butcher’s grew up," says Jemma Whiteman of ANTE. "We fill the grill with these tasty morsels on a busy night, the smell is amazing! The roasted pistachios add such a great depth of flavour when combined with the sticky tare it tastes almost like miso."
1kg boneless lamb neck, with the fat on
12 wooden skewers, soaked in water overnight
Olive oil for brushing.
200g unsalted butter, soften to room temperature
130g pistachios, roasted, skins rubbed off
1 tsp salt
1 lemon, cut into wedges to serve
TARE
1/3 cup light soy sauce
120ml water
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sake
1 tbsp sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1. Dice the lamb neck into pieces approximately 2cm in size. Thread the lamb pieces onto the skewers, roughly 80g per skewer. Brush with olive oil and season well with salt. Pour all tare ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to the boil, turn the heat low and let reduce slowly until it has reduced by half. Set aside until it is time to grill the skewers.
2. To make the pistachio butter, pound 80g pistachio nuts in a mortar and pestle until it forms a smooth paste. Whip the softened butter in a mixer with the paddle attachment until it becomes lighter and creamier then add in pistachio paste and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Keep at room temp to brush over the lamb. Chop remaining pistachios to use as garnish.
3. Heat a charcoal grilll or barbecue or chargrill plate until nice and hot. Grill the skewers, turning every so often to caramelise evenly on all sides. Brush with tare during the last few minutes of cooking until the lamb is nice and sticky. Let the lamb skewers sit and rest for a moment before brushing very liberally with the soft pistachio butter.
4. Serve sprinkled with the chopped pistachios and lemon wedges on the side.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
Recipe Jemma Whiteman of ANTE, Photography Alicia Taylor
