While this website is dedicated to middle eastern food, today I wanted to honor the country of South Africa by featuring their cuisine. I haven’t posted in a while, as I have been seeing horrific images coming out of Gaza. Continuous photos of skeletal children being deprived of food and aid are just too much to bear. I feel guilty even eating when such atrocities are happening in real time. However, the country of South Africa reignited my inspiration, with their compassionate stance for human rights for the people of Gaza. So I thought I would do a series on some of their most popular dishes, to honor them for their humanity in a time of darkness. Today we will start with Sosaties, or apricot lamb kebabs.
These kebabs have a similar flavor profile with Moroccan tagine, with the combination of plump dried apricots, apricot jam, and juicy lamb. However, they have a distinct South African flair with the addition of ginger, curry, and thyme. I have to admit, the addition of ginger and curry sounded a little strange to me at first until I tried them, and can you say WOW? The flavor was complex and harmonious at the same time, this will definitely be added to my dinner rotation!
As I have always had kebabs with Middle Eastern spices, it was fun to try something new with a flavor twist! Here are some key tips for successful sosaties kebabs:
* I recommend you marinate these kebabs overnight for maximum flavor, with a minimum of 2 hours in the marinade
* I also tried this recipe with beef, the cut I used was New York strip sirloin, with fantastic results. I only had to broil the kebabs 4 minutes each side for a total cooking time of 8 minutes. Perfect for a fast weeknight meal after work!
* If you want to use chicken for this recipe, set the oven at 400 degrees and bake for about 25 minutes, flipping them halfway through. If you prefer a charred and slightly smoky flavor on your chicken kabobs, you can use the broil setting on your oven towards the end of the cooking time. Once you switch your oven to broil, cook the kabobs for an additional 2-3 minutes on each side. Keep a close eye on them to prevent burning.
To see the easy technique, click on my new video here:
SOSATIES
Lamb SKEWERS
- 1 lb. leg of lamb cubed
- 1 sweet onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
- ½ cup dried apricots, soaked in hot water
MARINADE
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp apricot jam
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp finely minced ginger
- 1 tsp yellow curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp salt or salt to taste
- 2-3 sprigs thyme
- 6 wooden skewers be sure to soak wooden skewers in water to prevent burning
INSTRUCTIONS
- Soak the dried apricots in hot water for 15 minutes to rehydrate them. Peel and quarter the onions. Set aside. In a bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, apricot jam, minced garlic, fresh thyme, black pepper, yellow curry powder, and turmeric. Toss the lamb with the marinade until it is well coated. Cover and leave overnight, or at least 2 hours minimum. To the skewers, add one piece of marinated lamb, followed by a piece of sweet onion, then the rehydrated apricots. Repeat until you have 6 loaded skewers. Set your oven to broil, and bake around 5 minutes flipping halfway through.
