National Dish Cyprus: Souvla (Recipe)
In this article
Souvla is not souvlaki. The pieces are fist-sized rather than bite-sized, they go on a long rotating spit rather than a small skewer, and they cook for well over an hour. Cypriots make the distinction firmly, and they are right to.
About Souvla
Souvla is the Cypriot Sunday and holiday cook-out. Large chunks of lamb or pork are threaded onto a souvla, a metal skewer a metre long, and turned slowly over charcoal in a foukou, a purpose-built rotisserie box. The exterior chars while the inside stays juicy, which is what the size and the slow turning are for.
Seasoning is lemon, salt and pepper. Nothing else is needed and most Cypriots would object to anything more.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 500 g lamb or pork
- 4–5 cloves of garlic
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Parsley, to garnish
Shopping for the ingredients
Pork shoulder is the everyday choice and lamb the festive one. Ask for it cut into pieces of about 5 cm with the fat left on, because that fat bastes the meat as it turns. Cypriot olive oil and unwaxed lemons; the lemon does most of the seasoning.
Preparing the dish
Marinate the meat for at least two hours, ideally overnight, in lemon, oil, crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Build the charcoal fire well in advance and let it burn down to a steady glow with no flame, because souvla cooked over flames chars before it cooks.
Step-by-step instructions
- Prepare the meat as described above and leave it to marinate.
- Thread the marinated pieces of meat onto skewers.
- Get the grill ready by lighting the charcoal and letting it burn down to a steady glow.
- Grill the skewers for around 20–30 minutes, turning them regularly, until the meat reaches your preferred doneness.
- Serve the Souvla hot, alongside sides such as fresh bread or grilled vegetables.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
Meat, lemon, oil and garlic contain no gluten or dairy. Only the pitta served alongside needs substituting for a gluten-free plate.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
Halloumi is the obvious Cypriot answer and grills beautifully on the same coals, though it needs only minutes rather than an hour. Large pieces of aubergine, pepper and mushroom threaded on a skewer take the same lemon and oregano marinade well.
More tips and tricks
Keep the meat well away from the coals, around 25 cm, and turn it continuously. Souvla is cooked by radiant heat rather than direct grilling and rushing it produces a burnt outside and a raw middle. Baste with the leftover marinade in the last fifteen minutes, not before, since the lemon burns.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
Chicken thighs work and cook in about 40 minutes. Oregano is the one herb Cypriots add. Sheftalia, the caul-wrapped sausages, go on the same fire and are usually cooked alongside.
Ingredient substitutions
A rotisserie attachment on a kettle barbecue is the practical home version. Chicken or beef replace lamb and pork. Lime works in place of lemon at a pinch.
Drink pairing ideas
A Cypriot red such as Maratheftiko suits the lamb. Keo or Leon lager is what most people drink at the fire. Zivania, the local spirit, comes afterwards.
Serving and presentation ideas
Pull the meat off the skewer onto a board and let people take pieces into warm pitta with village salad, lemon and a spoon of yoghurt. It is eaten outdoors, standing, over several hours.
A bit of history
The spit-roast is old across the eastern Mediterranean, and Cyprus has kept the large-format version where Greece moved towards the small souvlaki skewer. The foukou is now standard equipment in Cypriot gardens. Souvla anchors Cypriot cuisine alongside kleftiko, the sealed oven-baked lamb.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Souvla
Souvla is large chunks of lamb or pork turned slowly on a long spit over charcoal. Marinate in lemon and garlic, keep the meat well above the coals, and turn it without stopping.
