Grilled Lamb Kabobs with Herbs de Provence
One of our favorite Spring time seasoning blends is Herbs de Provence, also known as Provencal herbs, Herbes de Provence and simply Herbs Provence. Herbs de Provence is a traditional blend of common, aromatic herbs that flourish in hills of France’s Provence region located on France’s southeastern tip and borders Italy.
Kabobs originated in the Eastern Mediterranean or Middle East before spreading to South Asia and eventually the rest of the world. Today, many different meats, vegetables and even fruits are incorporated into kabobs to create exotic flavor creations. Although many Americans use beef, chicken and seafood (such as shrimp) when making kabobs, the traditional meat used was lamb.
The smell of lavender in this fragrant seasoning blend pairs beautifully with the meaty flavor of lamb for these grilled kabobs. Some grocers will have lamb cubes for kabobs or stew. If not, you can choose a shoulder cut which requires a shorter cooking time or a loin chop which is lean, tender and perfect for the grill. Either way, you want to allow enough time for the meat to thoroughly marinate for a tender and flavorful dish.
Our Herbs de Provence is hand blended from basil, tarragon, thyme, marjoram, chervil and lavender.
Helpful hint: Soaking wooden skewers in water for at least an hour before using will help keep them from burning on the grill. We put ours standing in a tall flower vase because they tend to float if they are laying in a dish of water.
- 12 oz lamb shoulder or loin, bone removed and cubed.
- 16 cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 or 2 medium bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1 - 2" pieces
- 1 Tablespoon Herbs de Provence
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 4 - 8 skewers
- In a large zip lock bag or glass dish, combine Herbs de Provence, olive oil and vinegar.
- Mix in lamb cubes and makes sure all pieces are coated with the marinade.
- Close bag or cover dish and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours or as long as overnight.
- Before preparing skewers, preheat grill to medium high direct heat.
- Thread the skewers with equal amounts of lamb, tomatoes and bell peppers.
- Allow meat to come to room temperature and grill for about 4 minutes per side.
- Internal temperature should be arounf 145 degrees for medium rare and 160 degrees for medium.
