I enjoy traveling. It is a great chance to explore new areas, learn about new people and taste different foods. It is an absolute treasure when I stumble upon some great new food, cuisine or way of preparing a special dish. This was the case when I went to England for the first time.
The English are not known for their grilling or barbecue. Texas, the various southern styles of barbecue and of course, California grilling styles come to mind. The British are not known for their grilled steaks, ribs or grilled vegetables. The British must have had forethought when they opened their arms to many cultures. These cultures would later influence the large cities, towns and villages all over England. Grilling would become part of the British culture, but the influence was not American.
My first trip to England was unorthodox. It wasn’t the trip itself that was different, but the time in which it occurred. My peers were taking off to the beaches of Mexico and Florida for their spring break. They basked in the glow and warmth of the sun while their wardrobe consisted of swimwear 24 hours a day.
Instead, my friend Jen and I took hold of our jackets and packed warmer clothes. We were in for the beauty of slightly overcast days, a few showers and cooler temperatures of England. We had a beautiful new food in store for us too.
We found ourselves in the town center of Maidstone, a bustling city in the county of Kent. Their population is about the same as that of South County. We arrived back in the town center from a visit to the beautiful Leeds Castle. We were hungry. Not knowing where we should eat, we started up the street to explore our choices.
We stumbled upon what Americans would call a kebab restaurant. Known in England as a “kebab shop,” we happily stumbled in. In the refrigerated case before us were skewers of different raw meats and vegetables. Behind the counter was a restaurant char broiler grill. I knew I found the place I wanted to eat.
We walked up to the counter and placed our order. A skewer was selected by the cook and grilled to order. I chose the chicken with bell pepper and onions. Jen choose the vegetables. Once grilled to perfection, each order was placed in a “take away” container with pita bread. It was a complete and very inexpensive meal. We walked to a bench and enjoyed our dinner of a newly discovered favorite.
According to the Wikipedia Web site, the word “kebab” means, “grilled or broiled” in Persian and Turkish. The word “shish kebab” means “skewer of grilled meat.”
The skewers traditionally consist of meat such as beef or lamb. In addition, chicken, fish, fruit or vegetables are right at home on the skewers too.
Vegetables on shish kebabs may include a combination of eggplant, tomato, mushrooms, bell pepper and onion.
Seasonings for shish kebabs include, but are not limited to items such as lemon juice olive oil and saffron.
Some recipes I researched include the addition of yogurt in the marinade sauce, but it may be omitted if it seems a little too “different.” The kebab I had in England did not have yogurt.
There are devices on the market to improve grilling shish kebabs. One item is the shish kebab grilling baskets. I must be honest and say that I have not used these grilling baskets, but I have inspected them. The baskets are very narrow and restrictive to the shape of the meat and vegetables and they do not leave grill marks. I prefer the individual skewers where the meat and vegetables are pierced with the skewer itself.
If you do not have a set yet, look for skewers that are wide and flat as opposed to ones that are square or round. If the meat and vegetables are not packed tight enough on the square or round skewers, they may have the tendency to spin on the skewer.
The meat and vegetables should be removed from the skewers prior to serving. It may be a nicer presentation to keep the meat and vegetables on the skewer, but it may be difficult to remove everything from the skewers at the table.
You may also serve any sort of flat bread with your kebab, but pita bread is easy to find in our local grocery stores. Search out some other interesting flat bread, such as Indian naan, at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
Serve your shish kebab meal with couscous, basmati rice, lentil salad or cucumber salad. Keep it traditional, or experiment with other ingredients when trying this unique meal. Grilled shish kebabs are a welcome break to traditional American grilling.
Mitch L. Mariani is a self-taught amateur chef. Questions, comments and suggestions should be e-mailed to mi*******************@***oo.com. For tips and recipes, visit www.geocities.com/mixedgrillsouthvalley.
