I know, it’s not the same as eating lamb-shawarma from a neighborhood in the Middle East, but this leg of lamb won’t leave anyone complaining. The method of Shawarma is grilling a vertical stack of meat slices and cutting it off as it cooks. Like the Greek “Gyros”. Well, this is not the case here, but I promise you it is just as delicious if not more!
First, I rub the lamb (I do give good massages!) with an aromatic paste, loaded with spices. Then I marinate it for a day. If you don’t have time to marinate for that long, 1 hour will do the trick, although I highly recommend giving it the whole day.
Then the lamb is slow roasted for several hours until it becomes meltingly tender. If serving for a party, I stuff it in small pitas with salad and tahini. If I am serving my family, I make big wraps with arabic flat breads. However you serve it, it is absolutely delicious.
Shoulder of lamb “Shawarma”
Ingredients
- 2-3 kg whole shoulder of lamb broken on the bone (to fit your pan)
- 2 tsp black peppercorns
- 4 cloves whole
- 4 cardamom pods whole
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 Tbsp cumin seeds
- ½ cinnamon stick
- A little nutmeg ground
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sumac
- ½ Tbsp salt
- 5 cm fresh ginger
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup fresh coriander chopped
- 1 lemon juiced
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 cups chicken broth
To serve
- Cucumber tomato salad (see note)
- Tahini dip
Instructions
- In a dry pan, over medium-high heat, cook the black pepper, cloves, cardamom, fennel, cumin and cinnamon, stirring constantly until they darken slightly and are fragrant. Crush in a blender or pestle and mortar, adding the nutmeg, paprika and sumac. Grind them well to make a powder. Add the salt, ginger, garlic, cilantro, lemon and olive oil to the blender. Grind them all together to form a paste.
- Place the lamb in an oven tray. Season with salt. With a sharp knife, slash on the diagonal, 1-2 centimeters deep. Spread the spice paste all over the meat, stuffing the slashes with the paste as you go, giving a firm massage on both sides of the shoulder. Let the lamb marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or better, from the day before.
- Preheat the oven to 160° C. Take the leg out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking. Place the lamb in the oven uncovered and pour a cup of stock around it. After 1 hour, pour the second cup of broth into the pan (do not pour the water over the lamb). Cover the lamb with a piece of parchment paper and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Lower the temperature to 150°C and bake the leg undisturbed for another 3 hours.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it stand for 15 minutes. Uncover the pan and shred the meat with two forks. It will be meltingly soft. Pour over any pan juices and serve in pitas with salad and tahini.
