Adana kebab

1. Blitz the Romano peppers in a food processor until finely chopped, then tip them into a sieve and press hard to squeeze out the juices.
2. Put the drained peppers in a bowl with the lamb mince, red pepper paste, pul biber, 1½ tsp flaky sea salt and 2 tbsp of the sunflower oil.
3. Knead it all together for at least 2 to 3 minutes, wetting your hands with cold water if it starts to stick. It's ready when the mixture turns sticky.
4. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 12, so the flavours develop and the mixture firms up.
5. When you're ready to cook, heat your grill to high, or an oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 6.
6. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions of around 85g each. If you'd rather skewer them, split it into 8 portions and roll into balls.
7. With wet hands, press a ball onto the end of a skewer and work the meat down its length between your palms, wrapping it tightly and evenly so no metal shows.
8. No skewers? Lay the köfte on a baking tray lined with parchment for the oven, or foil for the grill.
9. Shape each one into a long köfte about 20cm in length, then dampen your fingers and press indents along its length for the traditional ridged look.
10. Brush each köfte with the last tablespoon of oil.
11. Grill on the top shelf for 10 to 12 minutes, turning often, or bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until crisp and charred outside and juicy in the middle.

Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen

• Keep the lamb and your hands cold so the fat doesn't smear; that's what helps the kebabs cling to the skewer.
• Knead the mince until it turns sticky. Without that bind it will drop straight into the coals.
• Once shaped, chill the kebabs in the fridge for half an hour. They firm up and take a cleaner char.