Moroccan Spiced Lamb With Harissa Recipes

SPICE-RUBBED LEG OF LAMB WITH HARISSA YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• For the lamb: Use paper towels to pat dry the leg of lamb. In a small bowl, combine the salt, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, black pepper and cayenne. Season all sides of the lamb with the spice mixture and place on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Let sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes or place in the refrigerator overnight and allow to sit at room temperature for 45 minutes before cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Drizzle the lamb with the olive oil, then roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake until the internal temperature is 140 degrees F for medium, about 1 hour and 15 minutes more. Allow to rest before serving, 15 to 20 minutes, then slice.
• For the sauce: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the harissa, yogurt and honey. Season with salt. Refrigerate until serving.
• For the optional garnish: Garnish with the pomegranate seeds, mint, scallions, good olive oil and sea salt if desired. Serve with the harissa yogurt sauce.

HARISSA-SPICED LAMB CHOPS

Steps:

• Pat chops dry and coat on all sides with harissa. Transfer to a glass or ceramic dish and marinate, covered and chilled, 2 hours.
• Sprinkle chops with salt. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chops on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes total.
• Add butter and thyme and continue to cook, turning chops frequently with tongs and basting occasionally, until thermometer inserted between ribs to center of a chop (do not touch bone) registers 120 to 125°F for medium-rare, 15 to 18 minutes more. Transfer chops to a cutting board and let stand, uncovered, 10 minutes.
• Serve with ground cumin for sprinkling.

MOROCCAN-STYLE BARBECUED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Mix the butter and oil in a bowl, then stir in the spices, thyme, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Add the harissa, 1 tsp salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper, and mix well.
• Put the butterflied lamb (see step-by-step guide) in a large shallow dish and spoon over the marinade. Using your hands, rub it all over the meat. Cover loosely with foil or cling film and leave to marinate for at least 2 hrs, or overnight in the fridge.
• Light the barbecue, adding plenty of coals. When it is ready, add the lamb, fat-side down, and cook on a fairly high heat for 5 mins until well browned. Turn over and cook for another 5 mins to brown the other side.
• Move the coals to the sides of the barbecue to reduce the heat under the meat and cook more gently for 30-40 mins, turning occasionally. This timing will give you pink meat.
• Remove the meat to a large board and cover tightly with foil. Leave to rest for 10-15 mins.
• For the sauce, fold the harissa, a little salt and the coriander into the yogurt. Cut the lamb into thick slices and serve with the sauce and couscous, if you like.

MOROCCAN SPICED LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220 degrees C/ 425 degrees F.
• In samll bowl, combine mint, apricots, dates, pine nuts, orange and lemon zests, and olive oil and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
• Press fruit mixture into leg cavity, tie with kitchen string to hold together. Spread harissa paste over leg and sprinkle with cumin seeds.
• Place leg of lamb in a roasting tin and roast in preheated oven 40 minutes per kilogram (20 minutes per pound) or until lamb is cooked to desired done-ness.
• Remove lamb from oven and let rest on cutting board a few minutes while you make the gravy.
• For gravy, put roasting tin on stove top and bring to a high heat. Stir in a teaspoon of harissa paste, (optional), a splash of red wine and enough water to bring it to a gravy-like consistency.
• Let gravy bubble and thicken until reduced by half.
• Carve lamb and serve with the gravy, bulgar wheat (kasha) aand a green salad.

SLOW-COOKED HARISSA LAMB

Steps:

• If you're making the harissa, tip the dried chillies into a heatproof bowl and pour over just enough boiled water from the kettle to cover. Cover the bowl and leave to cool. Once cool enough to handle, drain the chillies, reserving the water. Remove any stalks and pat dry with kitchen paper. Tip the chillies into a food processor with the garlic, 1 tsp salt, the olive oil, spices and vinegar, and blitz to a purée. If needed, add a little of the reserved water to loosen. Will keep, chilled, for up to a month.
• Make 15 cuts, about 3-5cm long, all over the lamb. Reserve 1 tbsp of the harissa paste, then rub the rest all over the lamb and into the cuts. Scatter the onions into a large roasting tin and sit the lamb on top. Leave at room temperature for 1 hr, or cover and chill overnight.
• Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 2. Roast the lamb for 4-5 hrs until the meat is fork-tender. Lift the lamb out onto a large board or serving plate. If the tin is flameproof, pour in the stock; if not, tip the contents of the tin into a saucepan first. Bring to the boil, scrape up any browned bits using a wooden spoon, and cook until the liquid is reduced by about a third - it should be a thick, rich onion gravy. Stir in the reserved harissa and the chopped coriander. Serve the lamb with the onion gravy.

MOROCCAN-SPICED RACK OF LAMB

Steps:

• Combine mint, olive oil, parsley, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, pepper, paprika, coriander, salt, cayenne, and cloves in a small bowl until paste-like.
• Place rack into a large glass or ceramic dish; rub herb paste all over the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Remove rack from the refrigerator and place in a heavy, oven-proof skillet with the meat side facing up.
• Roast in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 125 degrees F (51 degrees C) for rare or 130 degrees F (54 degrees C) for medium-rare, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
• To serve, carve by cutting down between the ribs.

LAMB PATTIES MOROCCAN STYLE WITH HARISSA SAUCE

Steps:

• Put the lamb in a mixing bowl and add all of the ingredients except the vegetable oil and harissa sauce. Blend the mixture thoroughly by hand.
• Shape the mixture into 8 equal-size patties similar to hamburgers.
• Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet large enough to hold all of the patties. Two pans may be necessary.
• Add the patties to the skillet. Cook them over medium-high heat about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, depending on the degree of doneness desired. Drain on paper towels and serve with the harissa sauce on the side.