Recipe for lamb shashlik on polenta slices
Preparation time: 1 hour. Marinating time: 2–3 hours. Cooling time: 1 hour for the polenta.
- 1 large red onion
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2-3 sprigs each of thyme, flat-leaf parsley and oregano
- 8-12 woody rosemary sprigs
- 50 g sugar
- 75g butter for frying the skewers
- 500g of lamb from the leg or back
- 100 ml White Balsamic
- 4-5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 50 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 100g coarsely chopped dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
- 175 g Polentagrieß
- 500 ml chicken stock
- Salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- freshly grated nutmeg
- For the skewers, peel the onion, quarter it, and separate the layers. Halve the bell pepper, remove the seeds, and cut it into approximately 2 cm pieces. Cook both with sugar, balsamic vinegar, and 200 ml water for 1–2 minutes, then remove from the heat and let it steep in the liquid for about 3 hours.
- Strip two-thirds of the needles from the rosemary sprigs. Trim the sprigs to a point and set aside. Finely chop the rosemary needles together with the remaining picked herb leaves and the peeled garlic, and mix with olive oil. Cut the lamb into 2–3 cm cubes, mix with the herb and garlic oil, and marinate for 2 hours.
- For the polenta, bring the stock to a boil, thoroughly blend in the sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste with an immersion blender, and season to taste. Stir the polenta grits into the boiling liquid and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Then let it cook for another 3–4 minutes, continuing to stir until the grits are completely absorbed. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Quickly pour the polenta onto a deep, greased baking sheet (approximately 15 x 25 cm) and smooth it with a spatula moistened with water. Then refrigerate for about 1 hour.
- Cut the cooled polenta into rectangular pieces and fry them in hot olive oil in a non-stick pan until golden brown on both sides. Then remove from the pan and keep warm in a 100°C oven.
- Thread marinated lamb, onions, and bell peppers alternately onto rosemary sprigs. Sear these in a pan with the herb and garlic marinade and butter until browned on all sides, then finish cooking in a hot oven for 5-6 minutes.
- Arrange 1 lamb shashlik on 1 fried piece of polenta and drizzle with the remaining herb and garlic butter from the pan.
1. For the skewers, peel the onion, quarter it, and separate the layers. Halve the bell pepper, remove the seeds, and cut it into approximately 2 cm pieces. Cook both with sugar, balsamic vinegar, and 200 ml water for 1–2 minutes, then remove from the heat and let it steep in the liquid for about 3 hours.
2. Strip two-thirds of the needles from the rosemary sprigs. Trim the sprigs to a point and set aside. Finely chop the rosemary needles together with the remaining picked herb leaves and the peeled garlic, and mix with olive oil. Cut the lamb into 2–3 cm cubes, mix with the herb and garlic oil, and marinate for 2 hours.
3. For the polenta, bring the stock to a boil, thoroughly blend in the sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste with an immersion blender, and season to taste. Stir the polenta grits into the boiling liquid and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Then let it cook for another 3–4 minutes, continuing to stir until the grits are completely absorbed. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Quickly pour the polenta onto a deep, greased baking sheet (approximately 15 x 25 cm) and smooth it with a spatula moistened with water. Then refrigerate for about 1 hour.
4. Cut the cooled polenta into rectangular pieces and fry them in hot olive oil in a non-stick pan until golden brown on both sides. Then remove from the pan and keep warm in a 100°C oven.
5. Skewer marinated lamb with onions and bell peppers alternately onto the rosemary sprigs. Sear these in a pan with the herb and garlic marinade and butter until browned on all sides, then finish cooking in a hot oven for another 5–6 minutes.
6. Arrange 1 lamb shashlik on 1 fried piece of polenta each and drizzle with the remaining herb and garlic butter from the pan.