Lamb Shawarma
At home! This recipe has been a long time coming. Naturally, nothing replaces a Shawarma. Thinly slices of perfectly seasoned Lamb skewered and stacked, forming an upright heavenly mound of crispy, sticky, deliciousness, ceremoniously carved straight onto flat bread, lavishly adorned, and wrapped tight for gifting. This comes so close.
My mother made some version of this ‘at home’ recipe growing up, and my brothers mastered it at Skewered, their fast casual restaurant in London where they served it pre-pandemic.
My recipe is a little bit of mama and a little bit of Skewered and is just perfect!
You could use bone in shoulder of lamb for this recipe, and cook it longer at lower temp. This version is quicker. For Bone in Lamb Shoulder, follow the same steps except to marinate, place the Lamb Shoulder in a large bowl, marinate skin side down. Remove from fridge for an hour before cooking, turn it around and let it sit and marinate on the other side while it comes to room temperature. Cook in a 325f oven for 4 hours, fat side up, turning around for the final 1.5 hours. Remove from oven, leave to rest for 15 minutes, then shred the meat.
Organic Ingredients Serves 6
3 Lbs Bone in Lamb Shoulder or 2.5 Pounds Boneless Lamb Shoulder or Leg of Lamb. For today I’m using Boneless Leg as this is what I could find
1 Garlic Bulb, cloves peeled
2 Large Onions peeled and cut into 1 inch rounds (to sit under Lamb while roasting)
Marinade:
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Juice of 2 Lemons
Ground Spices for Marinade:
1 Tablespoon: Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Allspice, Sumac
1 Teaspoon: Onion Powder, Cumin, Salt
1/2 Teaspoon: Cloves, Coriander
For serving:
Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley, washed and de-stemmed, a chopped small
Fresh Mint, washed and de-stemmed
Campari Tomatoes, thinly sliced
Red Onion, or Shallots peeled & thinly sliced into crescents
Jalapeños, or similar, thinly sliced
Pickled Lebanese Cucumbers found at Middle Eastern stores
Flat Bread, or Pita
Tahini Sauce - before using, bring Tahini to room temp and mix well. Whisk 2 Heaped tablespoons of Tahini with 1/2 a cup Water until smooth. Add the juice of 1 Lemon and 1/4 tsp. Salt. Adjust to taste adding more Water if needed. You could add a little shredded Garlic to this if desired.
Method:
The day before you plan to eat, marinate your Lamb.
Unwrap your boneless Lamb leg and remove and discard any Butchers yarn. Cut your Lamb into 3 even pieces. Using a long sharp knife, cut slits into the Lamb and push Garlic Cloves into the flesh, cutting your Garlic in half if you need to. Don’t cut your Lamb if using Bone in.
To make your Marinade, mix your Ground Spices with your Olive Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar and Lemon Juice in a non reactive bowl (like a glass bowl). Once well mixed, place your Lamb inside your Marinade and rub well. Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night, turning Lamb once halfway through.
Remove Marinated Lamb from fridge and let sit at room temp for about 30 minutes before cooking.
Preheat oven to 400f. Line a baking sheet or roasting tray with Onion Slices.
Remove your Lamb from Marinade and shake off excess liquid. Remaining Marinade can be discarded. Place Lamb on top of Onion Slices and bake for 45 minutes. Turn and Bake for another 30 minutes. Your Lamb should be crispy on the outside. If using Bone In Lamb Shoulder or Leg, cook for longer, approx. 3 hours for 3Lbs. at 300 Fahrenheit. The longer you cook, the softer it gets.
Remove Lamb from oven and set your baking sheet on your stove. Remove Lamb and place on a chopping board to rest for 15 minutes and cool. Discard roasted Onions. Remove Garlic Cloves and discard. Using a sharp knife and fork, shred your Lamb by holding it still while using your fork to shred the Lamb off. Use your fingers too, and discard any fatty pieces (there shouldn’t be much). Place Shredded Lamb back into your baking sheet and mix well with the juices. To serve, warm your Flat Bread under your broiler/grill for a minute or two. Place a generous serving of Shredded Lamb forming a line down the middle, top with Parsley, Onions, Sliced Tomatoes, Jalapeños, Pickles, and finish with lots of Tahini Sauce. Wrap tight and enjoy. Sahtain!
Inspiration.
My brothers, the boys & I outside Skewered, London 2019.