Oliver Hayes
The Smell That Follows You Down the High Street
Ask anyone who has stood outside a takeaway after closing time and they will describe the same thing: charcoal, rendered fat, and a hit of cumin so sharp it makes you turn your head. It belongs to the skewer — lamb mostly, dusted with a coarse red-brown powder, handed over in foil with the ends of the bamboo sticks poking out. You eat them standing up. You always burn your fingers. Chinese cooks have grilled skewers over open charcoal for centuries, from the street stalls of Xi'an to the courtyard barbecues of the north-east, and the version that landed in Britain arrived with the students, chefs and families who began opening takeaway counters in the 1950s and never really stopped.
The good news is that almost none of the flavour depends on the charcoal. It depends on a spice mix you can toast and grind in ten minutes.
The Three-Part Seasoning That Does the Work
Strip the mix back and you find three things, in roughly equal measure, with a small supporting cast around them.
- Cumin — whole seeds rather than powder. Toasted until nutty, then ground coarse. This is the note that makes a skewer smell like a skewer.
- Chilli — coarse flakes, not fine powder. Flakes release their heat gradually; powder scorches and turns bitter in seconds.
- Toasted sesame — the quiet one. Without it the mix tastes flat and thin. Crush lightly so some seeds stay whole.
A reliable starting ratio is three tablespoons of cumin seeds, two of chilli flakes, two of sesame seeds, one teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorns, and a pinch each of sugar and fine salt. For the numbing tingle of the north-west, push the peppercorns to two teaspoons and grind them fine. Add half a teaspoon of five-spice only if you want a sweeter, more southern accent.
Toast, Grind, Store
Everything happens in a dry pan over medium heat, and the order matters.
Cumin seeds first, for sixty to ninety seconds, shaking the pan, until they darken a shade and smell warm and grassy. Tip them out. Sesame next, which takes less than half the time, so keep watching. Chilli flakes get twenty seconds, no more — just enough to wake them up. Peppercorns last, until they smell citrus-sharp.
Let everything cool completely before grinding, or the steam will make the powder claggy. A pestle and mortar gives you the coarse, slightly uneven texture the street stalls have; a spice grinder is faster but turns it to dust, so pulse it. Store in a small jar away from the light and it will keep its punch for a month.
Marinating and Threading
Lamb shoulder is the classic, cut into two-centimetre cubes with a little fat left on. Beef skirt, chicken thigh and pork belly all work well. For a meat-free version, thread thick slices of king oyster mushroom, cauliflower florets, firm tofu puffs or halloumi.
For about 500g of meat, whisk together two tablespoons of light soy sauce, one of Shaoxing wine, a teaspoon of caster sugar, one egg white, a tablespoon of cornflour and a tablespoon of the spice mix. Add a splash of oil. Marinate chicken for half an hour and lamb for two hours in the fridge — much longer and the salt starts to toughen the meat.
Soak bamboo skewers for half an hour so they don't flare. Thread the meat snugly but not packed tight, alternating lean pieces with fattier ones, and leave a good hand's width of bare stick at the bottom. Push everything up towards the tip as you go; it grips better and cooks more evenly.
Cooking Without a Charcoal Trough
You want fierce, direct heat, and you want to leave things alone.
- Ridged griddle pan: get it properly smoking, brush with oil, then two to three minutes a side without moving them. Work in batches.
- Oven grill: highest setting, top shelf, lined tray, ten to twelve minutes, turning twice.
- Air fryer: 200°C for eight to ten minutes, shaking the basket once.
- Barbecue: the real thing, over white-hot coals with no lid, three to four minutes a side.
The finishing move is what makes it. The second the skewers come off the heat, dust them generously with the reserved spice mix — the residual fat will bloom it — then squeeze over lemon or lime, scatter spring onion and extra sesame, and spoon a little chilli oil over the top.
The Takeaway Table at Home
Serve them the way a takeaway would: a mound of steamed rice, a bowl of smacked cucumber with black vinegar and garlic, blanched pak choi dressed in oyster sauce, and a small dish of black vinegar with raw garlic for dipping. Chips are entirely legitimate and, in most British towns, historically accurate.
Make a double batch of the spice mix. Once you have had it on skewers you will want it on roast potatoes, grilled wings, fried cauliflower and, more often than you would care to admit, buttered toast.
