KHOROVATS

HOW IT IS MADE

1. 01

   Salt and onion overnight

   Toss the lamb with plenty of salt, pepper and crushed onion. No oil, no vinegar — the onion juice alone tenderises. Refrigerate for at least four hours, ideally overnight.

2. 02

   Build a bed of embers

   Burn hardwood or charcoal down until the flames are gone and the coals glow grey-red. Flame chars the outside before the inside cooks.

3. 03

   Skewer generously

   Thread the lamb onto flat metal skewers, pressed close so the cubes protect one another. Grill the vegetables whole on their own skewers.

4. 04

   Turn, don't fuss

   Lay the skewers across the coals and turn every few minutes for fifteen to twenty minutes, brushing the pomegranate molasses on only in the last five so it glazes rather than burns.

5. 05

   Rest inside lavash

   Slide the meat off into a bowl lined with lavash, cover, and let it rest five minutes. Serve with the charred vegetables mashed into a smoky salad and heaps of parsley.

GET IT RIGHT

• Cut lamb into 4–5 cm cubes and leave the fat on — it bastes the meat as it renders.
• Salt the meat only 20 minutes before grilling; earlier salting draws out moisture.
• Wait until the coals are grey with no flame. Flames scorch the outside while the centre stays raw.
• Turn the skewers only twice; constant turning prevents a crust from forming.

Variations