Moroccan Lamb Kebab Harissa

This is a great meal for guests.  You can get everything ready in advance - including a crispy cole slaw as a side.  Right before dinner, you just grill over very high heat for a very short time.  Lamb is best medium rare or rare, in my opinion.  Don't neglect your guests and overcook these beautiful puppies.
2 lb boneless lamb, leg or shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces - you should have about 30 pieces

Marinade:2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp powdered sumac (see Cook’s Note)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Harissa, Moroccan chili paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
palmful fresh thyme, leaves largely pulled from twigs
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon

Well before eating:
Toast the seeds in a dry skillet for about 2-3 minutes until they become fragrant. Remove from heat and cool. Coarsely grind in a coffee mill dedicated for spice grinding (or accept your next pot of coffee to be slightly spiced up - which is actually very, very good!)

Toss ground seeds into a large bowl with remaining marinade ingredients.

Mix together. Add the lamb cubes and toss together well.

Wrap with plastic wrap and allow to marinate in the refrigerator at least a few hours, if not, overnight.

Getting ready to eat:
Heat a grill. Thread the meat onto skewers.

Grill the kebabs on high heat for 2-3 minutes each side.

Reduce heat slightly and cook until medium rare, another minute or two.

Serves 6-8.

Cook’s Note: You can also skewer with veggies and other savories. Here I added a smoked Andouille sausage and lots of veggies.

Sumac is a spice used extensively in the Mediterranean to enhance dishes such as grilled meats and hummus. It is the powder formed by grinding the flower of the Rhus-species plant. Not to be confused with distant poisonous relatives such as poison sumac (which has a white flower), and poison ivy. God knows if there were a poison ivy relationship, I would not have been around to tell you about it!

It has a sour, rich flavor that goes well with deep flavors such as lamb.

I find powdered sumac at specialty spice stores, such as Spices and Tease in Chelsea Market, off the Highline Park in NYC.