When I was served this dish, of alternating bay leaves and chunks of lamb, the bay leaves were fresh (I was told that the world’s best bay leaves are grown around Smyrna, in Turkey). I couldn’t imagine that dried bay leaves would be much less delicious, and indeed they’re not. Either a rice dish or ordinary crusty bread is fine here, along with a salad like Spicy Carrot Salad (page 191), any of the eggplant salads on pages 191–193, or simply some plain roasted peppers or grilled vegetables. Other cuts of meat you can use here: chunks of boneless pork shoulder (which will need somewhat longer cooking) or beef tenderloin (filet mignon).

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

　　3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　Bay leaves, preferably fresh

　　

Step 1

Start a charcoal or gas grill; the fire should be only moderately hot and the rack about 4 inches from the heat source. If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water while you prepare the meat.

　　

Step 2

Toss the meat with the olive oil, along with the salt, pepper, and garlic. When you’re ready to cook, skewer pieces of meat alternately with bay leaves; don’t worry if some of the leaves break; just jam them between pieces of meat.

　　

Step 3

Grill the meat for 2 to 5 minutes per side, depending on the heat of the fire and the desired degree of doneness. Remove and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.