NEW YORK CUISINE

Hey food fans this is the Viking telling you that today we are going to New York for the last time

Slow Cooked Lamb Shawarma

Ingredients

2kg / 4 lb lamb shoulder (bone in) or 1.7 kg / 3.5 lb butterflied lamb leg 

SHAWARMA PASTE:

• 3 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground cardamon
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (1/2 tsp = not spicy)
• 2 tsp smoked paprika (ordinary also ok)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup / 65 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 2 - 3 tbsp / 40 - 60 ml lemon juice

COOKING:

2 cups / 500 ml water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F (standard) or 160C/320F (fan forced / convection).
2. Place Paste ingredients in a bowl, starting with 2 tbsp lemon juice, and mix. It should be a wet paste that can be slathered onto the lamb (see video).
3. Place lamb in a large roasting pan. Slather all over with paste. Optional: Marinate 24 hours (not mandatory, I usually skip).
4. Position the lamb with the fat side up. Pour water around, cover tightly with foil.
5. Roast 3 hours, removing from the oven 2 - 3 times to spoon over pan juices (ie baste).
6. Remove foil. Meat should be tender - check with 2 forks.
7. Baste again, then return to oven for 30 minutes to get a nice crust.
8. Remove lamb from roasting pan - reserve juices.

FINISH ON BBQ, OPTIONAL :

• Cool the lamb for 20 minutes or so (so it firms up slightly, easier to handle).
• If you used shoulder, pull the meat off the bone in 4 or 5 chunks (see video).
• Preheat BBQ to medium and oil if required.
• Coat lamb in pan juices. Sear on both sides until deep golden and a crust forms. Dab with pan juices on both sides.

SERVING:

• Slice or shred lamb, as desired. Drizzle with plenty of juices.
• Make Lamb Shawarma wraps by serving with shredded lettuce, tomatoes and minted yoghurt  or pile over Lemon Herbed Couscous and garnish with pomegranate seeds and parsley or chopped coriander/cilantro