Spiedini di capesante e pancetta (skewered scallops with bacon)

For ➍
skewers:
12 scallops
12 slices flat pancetta (or bacon)
olive oil
side dish:
3 potatoes
20 shallots
a sprig fresh thyme
vinegar
butter
olive oil
sugar
salt
sauce:
1 red bell pepper
1 small onion
1 potato
stock (optional)
olive oil
salt & pepper

Wrap the scallops in the strips of pancetta. Skewer them, 3 to a spit. Cook them over a brisk flame, in a skillet in a little olive oil, for 5 m, turning them to brown all sides.*
To make the side dish, boil the potatoes, peel them, dice them, and sauté them in a skillet with a little olive oil and the thyme, turning them to brown all sides of the cubes.
Peel the shallots and sauté them in a separate pan with butter; when they have browned and softened add a little sugar and some vinegar to glaze them, and cook them until tender, adding broth or water as necessary and checking seasoning.
To make the sauce, finely slice the onion and sauté in olive oil until translucent. Peel the potato, and dice it, as well as the pepper. Add them to the onion, cook a few milonger, add some broth or water, and cook until the potatoes are tender. Blend and check seasoning.
Arrange the scallops on serving dishes with the vegetables, sauce them and serve.

*Or preheat the oven to 180°C and bake for 15-20 m.

Spiedini are the Italian version of Middle Eastern kebab. Every variation is possible, and can be served with a sauce and a side-dish for a full meal. Alternatively, add some chopped vegetables or fruit (for instance onions in this recipe)or even bread to the skewers to have a snack.
Alternate: 16 scallops with coral, 8 slices of bacon, 1 clove garlic, 1 large onion, chopped parsley, some bay leaves cut in half, pepper and a few slices of lemon for garnish:: chop the garlic finely and mix in a bowl with the chopped parsley and freshly ground pepper; wrap 8 scallops into the bacon; prepare the skewers, alternating chopped onion, bacon roll, half a bay leaf and pieces of scallop; put on the grill turning the skewers every 5 m until well colored; serve hot with lemon wedges.
Read tip on cooking scallops.

Mumbai seekh kabob (a Mumbai street sandwich)

For ➍
600 g ground lamb or beef
2 ts fresh ground garlic
1 ts fresh ground ginger
1 ts salt
2 tbs plain yogurt
½ ts cayenne pepper
5 sprigs coriander, finely chopped
1 onion, peeled & finely chopped

With moistened hands, combine and mix all ingredients.

Wet hands. Take a small amount of meat mixture and wrap around a skewer. Keep adding and shaping meat mixture around the skewer into a 25 cm long kabob*. Continue this process until all of the meat mixture is used. Broil for 10 m, turning to brown all sides.**

Garnish with tomato wedges and onion rings. For a spicier taste, add a finely chopped green jalapeno pepper.

*Or roll into meatballs. The meatballs can then be served inside a freshly roasted bum, with some tomato, onion and pepper.
**Or put it in a tandoori oven.

Served in a bun, this is one of the favourite snacks sold in the Muslim streets of Mumbai. At home, it can also be served with spinach.
Add a kind of pesto sauce by crushing an onion, some cardamom and coriander in a food processor.
Picture shows Kalbadevi, one of the most populated sections of Mumbai around 1890.

tip: cooking meat in the oven

Red meat:
beef, deer / doe, lamb, duck, stag

Preheat oven to 200° C, 20 m per 500 g.

White meat:

pork, veal, young boar

Preheat oven to 220° C, 20/25 m per 500 g.

Other meat:

poultry, chicken, turkey, guinea fowl, pheasant

Preheat oven to 240° C, 20 m per 500 g, reduce heat to 180° C, 20 more m per 500 g.

The meat is done when the liquid out of the thighs turns colourless.

All meat must rest for at least 20 m in aluminum foil before serving.

Don't put meat, straight from the refrigerator, in the oven. It will make the temperature drop.

Most meat benefits from basting, but opening the oven will affect cooking time.
Skewers:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Cook for 15-20 m, depending on the thickness of the chunks.

Read more tips. Read tip on grilling and braising meat in the oven. Read more meat and fowl recipes. Read more on roasting meat. Read general cooking times for meat, in & out of the oven.