Shish Kebab Grilling Party | Suite101.com

Shish Kebab - wikimedia commons-Michael C. Berch

Having friends over for dinner? Turn the occasion into a lively affair by involving your guests with the preparation.

Gathering around the patio while preparing and grilling shish kabobs is an entertaining way to spend time with friends and family. As the host of a shish kebab grilling party, the question of whether your guests will like the food you prepare won?t present itself. Each guest chooses from a wide range of ingredients and creates their own unique combination of food for their liking.

Shish Kebab Grilling Party

Kebab is the Turkish word for roasted meat. Originating from Turkish soldiers who grilled over outdoor fires, shish kebabs have grown to consist of not only meat but basically anything which can be threaded on skewers and grilled.

Although a shish kebab grilling party may seem like a way for a host to avoid cooking (and maybe it is) it truly is a great way to amuse and satisfy all. Instead of each person bringing the traditional covered dish to the get-together, they can be asked to bring a favorite ingredient for grilling.

A few tables will be needed for the gathering. One table should be available for the compiling of all the ingredients. A host may want to have trays of ice ready for the dishes to be placed on in order to keep the medley of foods fresh. The ingredient table will act like a buffet counter. Guests will be able to browse around and pick the items they want to skew and grill.

Another table should be available for supplies and the preparation of the skewers. Flat metal skewers work great for grilling. If using bamboo sticks, they should be soaked in warm water for at least a half hour before grilling. This will help avoid them from catching on fire.

Ingredients for Shish Kebabs

There are many options for the creating of shish kebabs. Most times one inch cubes of meat are assembled on skewers between a few small pieces of vegetables. Because vegetables can take a bit longer to grill, they may be placed on their own separate skewer. Either way the pieces should not be pressed tightly together.

Some delicious combinations are the following:

• Lamb, onions, and peppers
• Chicken, yams, and pineapples
• Beef, potato, and carrots
• Shrimp, lemon slices, zucchini

Once the skewers are threaded, they are ready for the grill.

How to Grill Shish Kebabs

Shish kebabs can be directly grilled. Once they are placed on the grate they can be sprinkled with seasonings, basted with butter, or left to grill naturally. Times of grilling vary according to the ingredients used and heat of the grill. The meat should be cooked thoroughly and the vegetables should be soft. The kebabs should be cooked equally on each side. Lamb with onion and peppers may take between eight to twelve minutes (2-3 each side), while shrimp with lemon slices only takes about six minutes.

Enjoy the Company

After the shish kebabs are finished grilling, transfer them onto a clean dish. Do not use the same dish which the uncooked meat was first placed. Since the skewers can remain extremely hot it is best to pull the kebabs off with a fork. An area for sitting, socializing, and drinks should also be made available.

Getting together with friends and family in an informal setting makes a wonderful time. Without the added worry of cooking the right food, a host can concentrate on just enjoying the company. A shish kebab grilling party is a relaxed and unique experience which guests can appreciate.

Copyright Jenny Kile. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.

Jenny Kile -

Jenny loves writing about life's mysteries. Since she believes all is a mystery one will never know what her next topic will be.

Source: http://jennykile.suite101.com/shish-kebab-grilling-party-a387644

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