Leg Of Lamb With Zaatar Recipes

STUFFED LEG OF LAMB, MIDDLE EASTERN STYLE

Steps:

• Marinade: In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon zaatar mix and 3 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced. Season the trimmed leg of lamb with salt and pepper, to taste, and put it into a resealable plastic bag. Pour in the marinade and seal the bag. Refrigerate and let sit as long as you can, even overnight.
• Light the grill, putting the coals all on 1 side.
• Stuffing: Put the remaining garlic cloves in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the feta and pulse just to break it up, then slowly drizzle in just enough olive oil so the consistency is just barely creamy but not too loose (about 1/4 cup), stopping to scrape down the sides. Add the blanched spinach, 1 tablespoon of the zaatar spice mix, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and a little black pepper, and mix until blended but still a little chunky.
• Take the lamb out of the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the inside with lemon zest and fresh thyme, then add a layer of arugula leaves. Carefully spread stuffing over the inside of leg, being careful not to spread it all the way to the edge. Grab the end closest to you and slowly roll the leg up. Tie well with butchers twine. Liberally sprinkle the outside of the lamb with shawarma spice.
• Put the lamb directly over the coals on the hot side of the grill and sear it quickly, until the outside develops a nice crust, maybe 2 minutes per side. Then move the lamb away from the coals, cover the grill and let it cook for 45 minutes or so, checking after 30 minutes and turning several times. When the lamb is done, take it off the grill, put it on a cutting board and let it rest for about 10 minutes. To serve, cut in 1 1/2-inch thick slices, and arrange on a serving platter, making sure to remove any pieces of twine.

LAMB FLATBREAD WITH ZA'ATAR

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Stir in 1 cup flour to form a thin batter. Leave to rest until mixture is bubbly, about 20 minutes.
• Add remaining flour, olive oil and salt. Mix until dough comes together, then knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. The dough should be soft and a bit sticky; dust lightly with flour as necessary. Return dough to bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. (Alternatively, put dough in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.)
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add onions, season generously with salt and stir to coat. Cook, stirring, until softened and nicely browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
• Add lamb to skillet and mash into onions with a large spoon until crumbled. Sprinkle with salt, then stir in pepper, clove, allspice, cayenne, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, sumac and pomegranate molasses. Turn heat to low and stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes, until meat is just cooked through. Transfer mixture to a rimmed baking sheet and spread out to cool. (You will have a bit more lamb filling than you need - it's good on buttered toast for a cook's treat.)
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Punch down dough and divide into 8 2 1/2-ounce pieces. Knead each piece into a ball. Cover with a damp towel and let dough rest 20 to 30 minutes, then roll thinly or stretch each piece into a 6-inch round. Make the dough as thin as possible.
• Arrange 4 rolled-out dough rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each with a generous amount of za'atar-oil mixture over dough (all the way to the edges or you'll get a puffed up "lip"). Make a layer of thinly sliced or crumbled feta, then sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cooled lamb mixture over the entire surface. Sprinkle on a few pine nuts, if using. Press topping down with the palm of your hand.
• Bake 4 flatbreads at a time, on the upper rack of the oven, for 5 to 8 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. The dough should still be soft and pliable, not crisp. Serve hot or at room temperature, garnished with parsley, mint and cilantro leaves, whole or roughly chopped.

LEG OF LAMB WITH ZA'ATAR

Steps:

• 1. Have your butcher truss the lamb straight, so that the shank bone is parallel with the leg bones; pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. 2. Mix the za'atar, mustard powder, garlic, salt, red pepper flake & salt together in a medium bowl. Fold in the honey, olive oil, lemon juice & just enough water to form a thin paste. Reserve about 1/3 of this mixture off the side. 3. Liberally spread the marinade over the leg of lamb. You can let this sit as long as overnight or as little as one hour. 4. Place the marinated lamb on a rack set in a roasting pan. Liberally spread the marjoram branches over the lamb. Place in the oven and leave to roast for 1 hour. 5. Add some additional water to the remaining marinade. At a few intervals throughout the roast, baste the lamb with this mixture. 6. Mix the olives and preserved lemon. 7. After an hour, check the internal temperature of the leg in the thickest part of the muscle (not too close to the bone). When the temperature reaches about 115 degrees, pack the olive/ lemon mixture on top of the lamb. 8. Continue roasting until the lamb reaches an internal temperature of between 125-130 degrees. This should carryover to high medium-rare to medium. 9. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. Preserved Lemons Mix the salt and sugar together. Sprinkle a layer of this mixture on the bottom of a glass or plastic dish. Place a single layer of the sliced lemon on top of this, and then sprinkle more of the salt/sugar mixture. Repeat using all of the lemon and salt/sugar mix. Press this down with your hand as much as possible. Cover in olive oil and leave out at room temperature overnight. Rinse off all the salt prior to use.

EASY GRILLED LAMB WITH ZA'ATAR RUB

Steps:

• Dribble some Worcestershire sauce over the lamb chops.
• Rub each chop with Za'atar on both sides.
• Grill each chop or use the broiler, turning once or twice. Make sure to check doneness with a meat thermometer.