The “kabob” shop, as the Brits say it, is as common as KFC. Growing up on lamb, chicken, beef, and shrimp kabobs, we Lebanese folks enjoy piercing meat and veggies and cooking over an open flame. Salmon is great on its own, but cut them into cubes, assembled with veggies served with whipped garlic is just simply irresistible.
When grilling, a smokey marinade is key. My go-to spice on these profound occasions is Smoked Paprika. This is definitely a staple spice that can transform any meats, potatoes, or veggies into a succulent meal with depth.
Now a little word on the garlic sauce. Similar to a hollandaise-aioli sauce, whipped Lebanese garlic sauce homogenize when oil and acidity mix. Typically I buy garlic raw from the grocery stores, but in this case, buying the bulk of peeled garlic saves you much time. With the simple act of blending garlic while drizzling oil with some lemon (the acid), the whipped, fluffy garlic sauce will miraculously appear. As for the taste, embrace its heat! It is similar to horseradish in that it offers a kick, but honestly, this garlic sauce is not comparable to other sauces.
Dip these salmon kabobs with the cloudy garlic sauce, or if you’re like me, add it to your sandwiches, or on the side with a plate of fries. This will become your new favorite condiment. Enjoy!
Salmon Kabobs with Whipped Garlic Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8-10 oz Salmon fillet
- 1 Zucchini
- 1 Red bell pepper
- 1 Red Onion
Spices + Marinade
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Zest + juice of a lemon
- 1 tbsp Smoked paprika
- 4-6 Basil leaves, chopped 1 tsp of dried basil may be used instead
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Cracked Pepper
Garlic Sauce
- 1 cup Peeled garlic
- 2 cups Olive Oil or Sunflower oil
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- ⅓ cup Lemon Juice
Instructions
Salmon Skewers
- Soak the wooden skewers in water for 5 minutes. This prevents the sticks from burning.
- While the wood skewers are soaking, make the marinade by mixing in a small bowl the zest and juice of a lemon, smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, basil leaves, a good pinch of salt, and a few rounds of cracked pepper.
- Cut the salmon into 1 inch thick pieces. In roughly the same size, cut the zucchini, red bell pepper, and red onion. This allows even cooking. Note on cutting the zucchini: cut the disks in half otherwise the salmon won't make contact with the pan or grill.
- Starting with the cut onion, star layering the skewers. Assort as you like. I did onion-zucchini-salmon-bell pepper-salmon-zucchini-onion.
- Using a silicone basting brush, smother everything with the marinade. Let it sit with the marinade while you get the garlic sauce going.
Garlic Sauce
- In a food processor, blend the garlic and salt until a thick paste forms.
- As the food processor is running, slowly drizzle half of the olive oil.
- Add the lemon juice, and then slowly add the remaining olive oil. Sunflower oil may be used instead as a neutral flavor oil.
- Once the last drop of oil is blended, a creamy-fluffy sauce will miraculously form. Set it aside.
Cooking the Salmon Kabobs
- Either heat up a large cast-iron or the grill. Drizzle some olive oil in the cast-iron, sprinkle a lite salt before placing it on the grill or the heated cast iron. Once placed refrain from moving. This ensures a nice crust and easy removal from the heat. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Once removed from the heat, squeeze some lemon juice, and serve with a nice heap of garlic sauce for dipping. Serve with cold white wine for the ultimate meal. Cheers!
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