How to Use Barbeque Skewers

Food served on skewers, also known as shish kebab, originated thousands of years ago. In Turkish, the term "shish kebab" means "gobbets of meat roasted on a spit or skewer." These days, meats, seafood, vegetables and fruit are threaded onto skewers and cooked directly over heat on a barbecue grill. Metal or bamboo wood skewers are excellent tools for evenly cooking food and are easy to use.

• 1

  Soak bamboo or wood skewers in warm water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning on the grill. Wooden skewers are inexpensive and can be found at grocery stores. They must be discarded after cooking and cannot be reused, unlike metal skewers.

• 2

  Insert the skewer into the center of the squares of meat or fish, or thread the skewer through both the tail and head of shrimp. Continue to slide additional pieces of meat onto the skewer, leaving about a half-inch space between pieces. Consider alternating meat with cherry tomatoes, chunks of red onion, zucchini, mushrooms or bell pepper, threaded onto the skewer through their center.

• 3

  Parboil vegetables, except for cherry tomatoes and onion, until they are easily pierced with a fork before skewering them. Dense vegetables such as zucchini, bell pepper, new potatoes, carrots or sweet potatoes are best for grilling. Brush olive oil onto vegetables before adding skewers to the grill.

• 4

  Marinate the made-up skewers by placing them inside a heavy-duty, resealable plastic bag with your choice of marinade. Pour the marinade over the skewers, seal the bag and store in the refrigerator for at least one hour before cooking. Discard the marinade after use; do not use for cooking or basting.

• 5

  Refrigerate the skewers, seasoned with a dry rub made from your favorite spices, up to one hour before grilling.

• 6

  Thread fruit onto skewers for dessert kebabs. Halved peaches, chunked pineapple, chunked apples or large chunks of frozen banana are delicious when grilled. Fruit should be brushed with simple syrup made of one part water mixed with one part sugar before grilling.