Baharat lamb shoulder
with onions and moghrabieh
SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 40 MINS // COOK 4 HRS“Lamb rubbed with spices and cooked slowly is quite a traditional
preparation in the Middle East,” says Greg Malouf. “Served with
moghrabieh, giant couscous, this is a great dish to put in the middle
of the table with some yoghurt and away you go.”Pictured p102.6 garlic cloves, 2 sliced,
remaining left whole
⅓ cup (loosely packed)
oregano
150 ml olive oil
1 large (2kg) lamb shoulder
without shank, cut through
the bone into 6 equal pieces
(see note), trimmed of
excess fat
1 tbsp Turkish chilli flakes
(see note)
2.1 litres chicken stock
12 salad onions, trimmed
1 small onion, diced
1 tbsp each ground cumin
and ground coriander seeds
1 long red chilli, seeds
removed and thinly sliced
1 fresh bay leaf
600 gm moghrabieh (pearl
couscous)
200 gm canned chickpeas,
drained
12 cherry tomatoes, blistered
under a grill (2-3 minutes),
peeled
Lemon juice, to season
Coriander leaves (optional)
and extra-virgin olive oil,
to serve
BAHARAT SPICE MIX
1¼ tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp finely ground black
peppercorns
¾ tsp cumin seeds, finely
ground
½ tsp each ground coriander
seeds, ground cinnamon
and ground cloves
¼ tsp each ground cardamom
and ground star anise
Small pinch of grated
nutmeg1 For baharat (see note), sift all
spices together. Makes about
1½ tbsp. Store in an airtight
container for up to six months.
2 Pound whole garlic cloves
and 2 tsp salt to a fine paste
with amortar and pestle. Add
oregano, 50ml olive oil and 2 tsp
baharat and pound to a paste,
then massage into lamb.3 Preheat oven to 150°C. Heat
50ml olive oil in a large frying
pan over medium-high heat.
Fry lamb, turning, until golden
(4-6 minutes). Add chilli flakes
and 1.5 litres stock, bring to
a simmer, then transfer to a
baking dish that fits lamb
snugly. Cover with baking paper
and foil, then roast, basting
every hour, until lamb is tender
(3¼-4 hours). Uncover, increase
heat to 180°C, add salad
onions and roast until lamb
is golden and onions are soft
(20-30 minutes). Transfer lamb
to a bowl, remove excess fat
from cooking liquid (place paper
towels on the surface, then
remove and discard) then return
lamb to liquid and keep warm.
4 Meanwhile, heat remaining
oil in a large casserole over
medium heat, add diced onion
and sliced garlic, and sauté
until softened (4-5 minutes).
Add cumin and coriander
seeds and stir until fragrant
(1-2 minutes). Add chilli, bay leaf,
moghrabieh and remaining
stock to just cover and bring to
the boil. Season to taste, cover,
reduce heat to low and simmer,
stirring occasionally, until tender
(25-30 minutes). Add chickpeas
and tomatoes, and simmer until
stock is absorbed (5-7 minutes).
Season to taste with salt
and lemon.
5 Stir coarsely shredded lamb
through moghrabieh, top with
coriander and drizzle extra-virgin
olive oil to serve.
NoteAsk the butcher to
prepare the lamb for you.
Turkish chilli flakes are available
from Middle Eastern grocers.
Pre-mixed baharat is available
from Middle Eastern grocers
and Herbie’s Spices
(herbies.com.au).
Wine suggestion Gutsy
mourvèdre.ZAHRA MAQLIA
Fried cauliower
with parmesan
wafers and
tahini yoghurt
SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 30 MINS
// COOK 25 MINS (PLUS COOLING“Parmesan crisps add intrigue
to this traditional dish,” says
Malouf.Pictured p103.Sunflower or canola oil,
for deep-frying
1 large (about 1kg) cauliflower,
cut into large florets
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
PARMESAN WAFERS
30 gm pine nuts, coarsely
chopped
30 gm parmesan, grated
¼ tsp dry-roasted cumin
seeds, crushed with a
mortar andpestle (see
cook’s notes p192)
TAHINI YOGHURT
70 gm (¼ cup) hulled tahini
340 gm Greek-style yoghurt
1 small garlic clove,
crushed with a mortar and
pestle with 1 tsp sea salt
Juice of 1 lemon1 For wafers, preheat oven to
180°C. Combine ingredients in
a bowl. Line a large oven tray
with baking paper and sprinkle
2 tsp mixture at a time into 7cm
rounds (using an egg ring or
pastry cutter if available). Bake
until light golden (8-10 minutes),
cool briefly on tray (5 minutes),
then transfer to a wire rack to
cool completely. Makes 12.
Wafers will keep in an airtight
container for up to a week.
2 For tahini yoghurt, whisk
tahini and yoghurt in a bowl until
combined. Stir in garlic mixture
and lemon juice, season with salt
to taste and chill until needed.
3 Heat oil to 180°C and deep-fry
cauliflower in batches until
golden (3-5 minutes). Drain
on paper towels and douse
with lemon juice.
4 Spoon tahini yoghurt onto
a plate, top with cauliflower,
wafers and sesame seeds,
season to taste and serve.
Wine suggestionSavoury
sparkling chardonnay.FUL MEDAMES
Burrata with
broad bean and
chickpea stew
SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 20 MINS
// COOK 5 MINS“This take on ful medames,
the Egyptian breakfast dish,
benefits from the burrata that
oozes out into it,” saysMalouf.
“It’s a wonderful marriage.”400 gm canned ful medames
(see note)
800 gm canned chickpeas,
drained and rinsed
1 garlic clove, crushed with
a mortar and pestle with
1 tsp sea salt
Juice of 2 lemons
1 ripe Roma tomato, cut into
5mm dice
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 tbsp ground cumin, plus
extra to serve
60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin
olive oil, plus 1 tbsp extra
for drizzling
2 tbsp shredded flat-leaf
parsley
6 small burrata (about
100gm each)
½ tsp Turkish chilli flakes
(see note)
½ cup purslane (see note) or
watercress leaves1 Heat ful medames, including
liquid, and chickpeas in a
saucepan over medium heat
until hot, but not boiling. Stir
in garlic mixture, lemon juice,
tomato, onion and cumin, then
lightly crush a quarter of the
mixture with the back of a spoon
to bind. Add oil, increase heat to
medium-high and bring to the
boil. Remove from heat and stir
in parsley.
2 Transfer to a large shallow
bowl and top with burrata.
Sprinkle with extra cumin,chilli,
purslane and 1 tsp sea salt and
drizzle with oil to serve.
NoteCanned ful medames,
broad beans, andTurkish
chilli flakesare availablefrom
Middle Eastern food shops.
Purslane is available from
select greengrocers.
Wine suggestion Spicy, juicy
grenache.➤104 GOURMET TRAVELLER