Chic Kabobs
Rodney Smiley
Friday, June 10, 2005
(as published on www.outinamerica.com)
You may think kabobs are a fairly modern, even North American, style of cooking. They certainly are festive – multi-colored vegetables (or fruit) skewered alongside rich cuts of chicken, beef or even sausage. Kabobs are fun to prepare and when you get creative, give a great presentation (imagine six or seven kabobs sticking straight up out of a melon as the centerpiece).
But in fact, kabobs are far, far older than you’d think. The Afghans, most of whose food derives from Persian cuisine, have been eating kabobs for generations. Typically thought of as fast food, they are a staple of Afghan life. Made from lamb, mutton or beef, kabobs are traditionally served with bread, vegetables or a salad.
Hungry yet? Well, in the next few months of summertime barbecues and outdoor events, try hosting a kabob party for your friends!
Planning is easy and prep and cook time can be shared among your guests. When sending invitations, be sure to assign a portion of the work to each guest. Some may chop vegetables while others cut meat and others prepare sides. It’s a great way to get your guests involved and keep them entertained at the same time!
Here are a few tips for a successful kabob party:
Soak the skewers
If you’re using wood skewers (and I suggest that you do), always soak them in water for at least 30 minutes prior to assembly and grilling. It will keep them from scorching or burning and help the individual pieces slide on easier.
Divide up the work
Put one or two guests in charge of chopping the vegetables or fruit. Have another couple or three cut the meat into small pieces. If you’re having additional side dishes (tabouli goes great with kabobs as does a field green salad or even roasted potatoes), have the remainder of your guests work on getting the side items prepared.
Everyone skewer!
In lieu of having just a couple of your guests assemble the kabobs, let everyone skewer their own. Some may want more beef, others may want chicken only and your vegetarian friends will be able to have a meatless kabob.
Chill and grill
While this cutting, preparation and skewering is going on, you as the host should be doing three things – making sure everyone is happy, pre-heating the grill and preparing cocktails for your guests. When all the kabobs are ready, have your guests wash up and chill with a cocktail or two while you grill.
Serve
Once cooked, either plate the kabobs according to the individual preferences or, if no one made their own, a great way to plate is to pile high on a serving platter in a log cabin fashion. You could even put your salad in the space in the middle and serve with a pair of long handled tongs. Make sure you serve salad at the same time as kabobs or your salad will spill over the side!
Your guests will love the group participation and you’ll save yourself quite a bit of hustle and be able to enjoy your guests, as well as your kabobs!
Basic kabobs
This is a basic kabob recipe. Feel free to add your own tastes and style – cut potatoes work great as do whole small onions and pineapple.
Meat, chicken or both, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
Mushrooms, either whole small mushrooms or halved large mushrooms
Green onions, cut into 1 inch segments
Red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch segments
Olive Oil
Fresh thyme leaves
Grated ginger
Brushing glaze
Mix ½ cup olive oil with thyme leaves, pepper and grated ginger. Let sit for at least 30 minutes prior to brushing. Prepare the kabobs, threading each skewer with alternating ingredients. When ready to put on the grill, give each kabob a brushing of the glaze just before they hit the heat.
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