Marinated Lamb Shawarma With Red Pepper Walnut Tahini Sauce Recipes

LAMB SHAWARMA

Steps:

• Place the yogurt, water, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, onion, and garlic into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the salt, black pepper, cumin, nutmeg, clove, mace, and cayenne pepper until evenly blended. Mix in the lamb strips to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator 12 to 24 hours (the longer the better).
• Heat a large skillet over high heat. Cook the lamb strips in a single layer in batches until the fat melts and the meat has browned and is no longer pink on the inside, about 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

MOROCCAN SPICE BLEND - RAS EL HANOUT

Steps:

• Combine the cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, nutmeg cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, cayenne pepper and ground cloves and store in an airtight container away from the heat for up to several months.

GRILLED LAMB SHWARMA

Steps:

• Mix 1/2 cup of oil with the garlic, lemon juice, cumin, cardamom, Aleppo pepper (or crushed red pepper), 1 t. of black pepper and 1 1/2 T. of salt.
• Set the lamb on a rimmed baking sheet and coat it with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. The longer it marinates, the more flavorful and tender the meat.
• On the day of grilling, you can go ahead and make the Yogurt-Tahini Sauce:.
• Blend the tahini paste, lemon juice and olive oil, in a food processor, until smooth. Add the yogurt and blend the mixture completely. Scrape the tahini sauce into a bowl; stir in the cumin and pepper. Season with salt, to taste. Garnish with parsley.
• Preheat a grill - medium-high heat.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 T. of oil over medium-low , and add the bell peppers. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer this to a serving bowl.
• Heat the remaining 1 T. of oil in the same skillet and add the onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are lightly browned - about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Tranfer the onions to a different serving bowl.
• Grill the leg of lamb over medium-high heat, turning often, until an instant read thermometer (inserted into the thickest part of the meat) reads 130 degrees F. for medium-rare. This should take approximately 25 minutes.
• Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and let it rest for about 10 minutes. This is very important! Then, thinly slice the lamb across the grain and serve with the peppers, onions, yogurt-tahini sauce and pita bread.

CAULIFLOWER SHAWARMA WITH SPICY TAHINI

Steps:

• Arrange racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Prepare the cauliflower: In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, cumin, paprika, salt, coriander, turmeric, black pepper and cayenne. Add cauliflower and onion, and toss until well coated. Spread mixture in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Roast vegetables on the top oven rack until they are golden brown, slightly crisp and tender, 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once or twice. If the vegetables look dry as they roast, drizzle with a little more olive oil.
• As they cook, prepare the tahini sauce: Whisk together lemon juice, 1 teaspoon harissa, garlic and salt in a small bowl, and let sit for a minute or two to mellow the garlic. Whisk in tahini. Whisk in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is smooth and thin enough to drizzle. You may not need all of the water or you may need to add a little more: Tahini brands vary a lot. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more harissa, lemon juice and salt if you like. The sauce should taste zippy and creamy.
• Warm the pitas or flatbread by placing them directly on the bottom oven rack during the last 5 minutes as the vegetables roast. (Or you can warm the bread on another baking pan if that's easier for you.)
• Scatter parsley on top of the roasted vegetables and serve with warm pitas, tahini sauce, chopped tomato, cucumber and olives.