In the original barbecue is called in Azerbaijan Kebab or Shashlyk. The word “Shashlyk” has Turkic roots. In the original, the word sounds like “shishlik.” “Shish” in Azeri means “skewer”. In old Azerbaijani epic Kitabi Dedem Korkut (Book of my grandfather Gorgud) you can read this word very often. But not as Shashlyk, as Shishlik Two words: “Caucasus” and “barbecue” – a kind of synonyms. You can’t imagine that you are visiting on of the Caucasian places and you will not get served Barbecue. But how to cook Azerbaijani barbecue, you can find in this section. Here the recipes:

Azerbaijanis love to make kebabs at picnics and at their summer houses and, as is the case the world over, it is the men who take charge of the barbecue. The traditional name for kebabs, shishlik, after the metal skewer or shish on which a kebab is cooked, entered the Russian language as shashlik, which is now the name for any kind of barbecued meat in Russia. Lamb kebabs are a staple of the Azerbaijani barbecue.

Ingredients:

• 500 g lamb
• 1-2 onion
• Salt and pepper

Additional:

• Sumach
• Narsharab
• Lavash

Take meat from the loin or hind leg and cut into 35-40 g pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in a bowl with rings of raw onion to marinade for minimum 4 hours. I leave the bowl whole night in the refrigerator.

Thread the marinaded lamb pieces onto long thin metal skewers and cook over hot coals.

As soon as they are cooked, serve the lamb pieces with rings of raw onion, chopped herbs and sumac or narsharab and lavash – thin bread. Sumac, an alkaline red powder from barberry bark, has a zesty flavour and is thought to aid digestion of acidic meat, while narsharab is a sauce made from pomegranates. (Would you like to make this dish together? Join our Cooking Masterclasses to learn and taste the national cuisine of Azerbaijan!)

Barbecued tomatoes, aubergines and peppers or barbecue salad are an excellent accompaniment to lamb kebabs.

Nush olsun! Bon appetite!

• Lamb mince (you could mix lamb mince with beef mince in 1:1 proportion) 500g
• Fat from tail part of the lamb (kurdyuk) 150g
• Onion 150g
• Salt and pepper for seasoning

If you can’t find kurdyuk, you will need

• Lamb mince (you could mix lamb mince with beef mince in 1:1 proportion) 500g
• Onion 100g
• Salt and pepper for seasoning

Additional:

• Sumac
• Thin wrap 

Mix mince with fine chopped onion and fat (kurdyuk). Season and mix again. The longer you mix the better. Keep in the fridge for 4-5 hours.

Remove the mince from fridge 15-20 minutes before you start putting it on skewers. Take a portion of mince and start ‘dressing’ it around a skewer. The longer you do this the better the mince will ‘sit’ on the skewer. We also put thread around the lulah which we remove before serving it. The thread does not burn (strange, isn’t it?). You can also try to left it without thread.

Start your BBQ by bringing the coal to the needed level of heat. Coal usually turns read. Cook the meet. Important: keep salted water near you to use to turn down any sparks of fire.

Before serving, remove the thread and put lulah into wrap. Sprinkle with sumac.

Nush olsun! Bon appetite!

Ingredients:

• Chicken pieces (or only chicken breast) from 1 chicken
• Onion 2 pieces
• Lemon juice – 3 tbsp
• Salt and pepper

I usually use chicken breast for this BBQ. However all parts of chicken can be used. Sevide chicken into equal pieces (smaller better), cut the onion into rings. Put the chicken into a pot, season, add onion rings, lemon juice and mix. Leave for 4-5 hours.

Prepare your BBQ by heating the coal to needed temperature (normally coals turn read).

Put the chicken pieces through skewers and cook. Important: keep salted water near you to use to turn down any sparks of fire.

Do not overcook chicken, specially if you’re cooking the chicken breast, otherwise it’ll be too dry. Served in a wrap

or with bread

Nush olsun! Bon appetite!

Prepare your BBQ by heating the coal to needed temperature (normally coals turn read).

Wash tomatoes, put the chicken pieces through skewers and cook. Turn from time to time.

Tomatoes are ready when their skins burst and they turn soft

Nush olsun! Bon appetite!

Ingredients:

• Aubergines 2 big pieces
• Tomatoes 10 pieces
• Green pepper 3-4 pieces
• Onion 1 pieces
• Garlic (Optional)
• Coriander
• Dill
• Salt and pepper

Usually, with meat BBQ, onions (from marinade), barbequed tomatoes, aubergines or potatoes are served (separately). Sometimes I make a warm vegetable salad

Prepare your BBQ by heating the coal to needed temperature (normally coals turn read).

Important: keep salted water near you to use to turn down any sparks of fire.

Make BBQ tomatoes, aubergines and green pepper. Once cooked, dice vegetables very thinly, almost mashed state). With pepper, you’ll have to clean the skin first. Add thinly diced onion. Add chopped herbs and crushed garlic. Mix well, season. Serve immediately.

Salad has smoky smell which makes it even tastier.

Nush olsun! Bon appetite!