A very easy recipe that makes gorgeous home-made Doner Kebabs just like the ones that you get in a Kebab house (the ones that turn around in the window and looks like an elephants leg).

What exactly is a Doner kebab?

Typically a Doner kebab is lamb meat which has been prepared by seasoning the meat and then cooking it on a spit. Usually in UK Doner kebab shops it is served with pita bread, salad, chilli sauce, yoghurt sauce, raw onions, and chilli peppers. Many people seem to only ever eat a Doner kebab after a heavy night out partying, personally I'm quite happy to have a Doner kebab at any time; I find it a really tasty meal after all of the trimmings have been added.

It is quite well known that the kebab is fairly loaded with calories and fat content, but then it's the same with anything in life and moderation is best. My local kebab house offers them in medium, large and king-size; I've seen one of the king-size - they are enormous. I don't tend to have a kebab too often and when I do I normally go for a medium as anything more is a struggle. The home-made version below is going to be a little less calorific purely due to the portion size.

Is it spelt 'Donner' or 'Doner'?

It seems that it can be spelt both ways. I've always spelt it as Donner Kebab, all of my local takeaways spell it this way too. However, the default spelling in Google's search dictionary, along with Collins English Dictionary, is 'Doner'. There is also the Arabic name for it too, which is 'Shawarma'.

Ingredients for the doner kebab

Will make two or three decent sized kebabs, grilled on skewers

• 400 grams of lamb mince
• 2 slices of bread
• half a teaspoon of garlic salt
• half a teaspoon of onion powder
• half a teaspoon of mixed herbs
• quarter of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• one teaspoon of oregano
• one teaspoon of plain flour
• 4 or 5 good grinds of black pepper

Optional ingredients to accompany the Doner just like the kebab house

• pita bread
• mint yoghurt
• chilli sauce
• onion
• lettuce leaves
• sliced tomatoes
• coleslaw
• whole chillies

How to make the doner kebab

1. Put the bread and the spices into a food processor and breadcrumb the bread.
2. Turn out into a mixing bowl and add the lamb mince.
3. Mix well using hands, then leave for at least an hour allowing the flavours to mingle and meat to bind.
4. Divide and form onto the kebab skewers.
5. Grill, or use a BBQ, under/over a medium to high heat making sure that the meat sizzles rather than burns.
6. Once cooked they are ready to be taken off the skewers and sliced thin lengthways for the authentic look. The Donner kebab can then be compiled using any or all of optional ingredients.

Lamb will produce lots of fat, which can bubble on the surface of the meat. Make sure it has cooked through before serving. 

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