My Middle Eastern spiced lamb

Happy New Year - and welcome back to my blog! After having been on a "sabbatical" for almost a year normal services have now resumed and I'm looking forward to tantalising you with LOADS more of my mouthwatering recipes (even if I say so myself...).

I also gained a delightful little sous chef last February and I'm happy to report that Alfie is as obsessed with patisserie work and butchery as I am - here he is having YET AGAIN stolen his (and my) favorite pastry brush out of the dishwasher:

... and here he's carrying out one of his strident "quality control checks" on the lamb shoulder bones from today's recipe:

So what's on the menu? Well it's an absolutely stunning dish which everyone who's ever tasted it just LURRVVES! It's packed with Middle Eastern flavours and I serve it at least once a month - either as our Sunday "roast" (it's my - almost-vegetarian - daughter's favourite "meat" and she could eat it every day she says) or for lunch with friends. It started off as a recipe from an 11-year-old issue of olive magazine, but I've changed/adapted/simplified it over the years - until it was just perfect (and easy)... Do give it a try!

1,5  - 2 kg boned and butterflied shoulder of lamb*

1 tbsp ground cumin 

1 tbsp ground coriander 

1 tbsp paprika (smoked if you have it)
2 tbsp turmeric or 1/4 tsp of (ground) saffron 

1 tbsp cardamon pods 
½ tsp ground nutmeg 

1 tsp cloves

1 small cinnamon stick
1 tsp black peppercorns (optional)**

2 fat cloves of garlic, crushed

200 – 250 ml plain yogurt

1 lemon - zest and juice
a handful of chopped fresh coriander and/or mint (optional)

Preheat the oven to 220°/200° fan oven.
Line a large roasting tin/tray with tin foil and place a big-enough roasting rack on top. 

Grind/crush the cardamon, cloves and cinnamon stick in a coffee/spice grinder or a pestle and mortar. Add to the yogurt followed by the other spices and mix in the garlic, lemon zest and juice. Give it all a good stir until all the spices are amalgamated.
Turn the lamb over on your chopping board so that the "top" (the curved side) is now underneath. Using a spatula, coat the underside with approx. 1/3 of the spice mix, then place the meat top side up on the roasting rack. Smear the rest of the mix evenly all over.
Cook for 50 – 75 mins - the coating will get nicely charred in places, and the meat is done when a metal skewer pushed into the thickest part comes out very warm/hot when you put it to your lips.
Serve with the coriander/mint sprinkled over.

Serves 6.

I serve the lamb with a creamy potato gratin (not authentic but it goes SO well with the spice kick of the meat!) and simply boiled green beans tossed in olive oil, chopped garlic and mint.

Notes:
*I prefer shoulder of lamb over leg every time - it's more succulent without being too fatty (as leg can often be) and it's much cheaper: I get it from my local North African butcher for €8.99/kg.
You can ask your butcher to de-bone and butterfly the shoulder for you, but I always do it myself - it really isn't difficult to do! Here's a useful video to show you how it's done.
I often buy a larger shoulder ie 2.5 kg and, after butterflying it, I put half in the freezer for the next meal  - easy-peasy!

**I've found over the years that the nutmeg gives enough heat to the dish, but feel free to add the peppercorns for an extra hit - or you could add a tablespoon or two of harissa.