In Beijing there are many street stalls selling Muslim delicacies and snacks such as 'Chuan rou' ('Chuan' means 'skewered' and 'Rou' means 'meat' in Mandarin Chinese) - in fact, they have become so popular they are found all over China, and not just in the north. Here, the meat is coated in spices, skewered and then cooked on a grill or barbeque, which gives it an irresistible smoky flavour. It is served with a simple orange fennel salad, which complements the spiciness of the dish. For a Western serving suggestion, lightly coat some plain ciabatta bread with olive oil, season with ground fennel, cumin, salt, paprika and chili powder and then toast on a griddle.

Recipe courtesy of Ching-He Huang

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Total:: 45 min
Prep:: 15 min
Inactive:: 20 min
Cook:: 10 min

Yield:: 2 servings

Level:: Easy

Ingredients

Water, as needed
1 teaspoon dried chile flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon groundnut oil (peanut)
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
7 ounces lamb loin fillet, very finely sliced, and cut into small pieces
Olive oil, as needed

Directions

Soak 8 to 10 wooden skewers in water for about 20 minutes. Combine the chile flakes, cumin, fennel seeds, oil, soy sauce, rice wine, paprika, and salt in a bowl. Add the meat to the spices, and toss to coat. Thread the meat onto the skewers.

Heat a griddle pan over a high heat, and add a drizzle of olive oil. Place the skewers into the pan, and cook until they brown on one side, then turn them over, and continue cooking for l minute. Turn off the heat, and serve.

My Private Notes

Name: Spiced Skewered Lamb
Prep time: P0Y0M0DT0H15M0.000S
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H10M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT0H45M0.000S
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: asian
Ingredients: Water, as needed; 1 teaspoon dried chile flakes; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 1 teaspoon groundnut oil (peanut); 1 teaspoon light soy sauce; 1 teaspoon Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry; 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 7 ounces lamb loin fillet, very finely sliced, and cut into small pieces; Olive oil, as needed