ground lamb kebabs spiced with mace and turmeric and blended with fresh herb paste, seared in a pan

The elimination phase strips away the easy shortcuts to flavor first: no chili flakes, no paprika, none of the nightshade spices a dish like this would normally lean on for heat. What is left is fresh herbs pounded into a paste and warm spices, mace and turmeric, that never depended on a nightshade in the first place. Building that flavor from scratch takes patience with a mortar and a knife, more than a shaker of pre-mixed spice ever would.

Look for grass-fed lamb if your budget and your grocery store both allow it. The extra attention at the meat counter is a small thing you can control on a day when a lot feels out of your hands.

Ground lamb ranks among the better sources of zinc you will find on a plate, and zinc has a hand in both immune regulation and gut-barrier repair, 2 processes quietly at work while you are focused on getting through the week. Mix the paste through the meat with your hands until everything holds together, press it firmly onto the skewer, and let the pan finish the job. A dinner with this much going on in the spice bowl needs nothing extra to feel worth the effort.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 small red onion, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• Small handful fresh parsley
• Small handful fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon mace
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

Method

Put the red onion, garlic, and ginger into a food processor. Add the parsley, cilantro, and mint. Process to a fine, moist paste, scraping down the sides once or twice. If you do not have a food processor, mince everything as finely as you can by hand - the paste does not need to be perfectly smooth.

Place the ground lamb in a large bowl. Add the herb paste, salt, mace, and turmeric. Using your hands, mix everything together until the paste is evenly distributed through the meat. The mixture should feel cohesive. Do not overmix, but make sure there are no dry pockets of spice.

Divide the mixture into four equal portions. Take each portion and press it firmly around a flat metal skewer, shaping it into an elongated oval about 15 to 18 centimetres long. Pressing firmly and compacting the meat well will help the kebab hold together during cooking. If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes first. If you have no skewers, form the mixture into oval patties instead.

Warm the coconut oil in a heavy skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the kebabs. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side, turning once, until there is a good golden-brown crust on both sides and the meat is cooked through. Do not move them around - let them form a crust before you turn them.

Rest the kebabs for 2 to 3 minutes before serving. A simple salad of cucumber, mint, and a squeeze of lemon alongside works well.

*Adapted from gutsybynature.com (Jaime Hartman)*