Oooh, baby! The recipe in Saveur (March 2004) for Persian ground-meat kebabs sounded just like the delicious treats we get at Molana in Watertown. Finally got to try it out tonight, and it's terrific. (tallasiandude *really* likes persian kebabs, too, so bonus.) Lacking big flat skewers, I made them into little oblong patties for the grill... they come out moist, light, intensely savory. And I didn't even use any lamb, just beef. The secrets seem to be finely grated & drained onion, for flavor & moisture, and brushing the patties with saffron-infused butter as they go on the grill, adding that elusive flavor note I associate with Molana-kebabs. Very easy, very impressive for guests, and very delicious.
(I used my immersion blender's chopper attachment to grate the onion, which didn't so much grate as reduce to fine puree. Happily, this seemed to be an improvement, as it allowed the kebab texture to be finer. Now I just have to figure out what to do with a cup of onion juice...)
Posted by foodnerd at July 25, 2004 11:28 PM