Roast lamb shoulder shawarma

Name: Roast lamb shoulder shawarma
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: • 1.5kg bone-in lamb shoulder; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 brown onion, peeled and cut into chunks; 4-8 pita breads, to serve; ¼ cup toasted pine nuts, to serve; finely shredded parsley, to serve; 1 sliced red onion, to serve; 1 sliced tomato, to serve; 1 sliced cucumber, to serve; 3 cups finely shredded lettuce, to serve; 1 lemon, quartered, to serve (optional)

Adam Liaw

September 4, 2018

Roast lamb shoulder shawarma.William Meppem

Time:2 hours +Serves:4

The shawarma seasoning mix listed here makes a double portion. Store the leftovers in a jar or ziplock bag for lamb chops, stews, or a repeat performance.

Ingredients

• 1.5kg bone-in lamb shoulder
2 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, peeled and cut into chunks
4-8 pita breads, to serve
¼ cup toasted pine nuts, to serve
finely shredded parsley, to serve
1 sliced red onion, to serve
1 sliced tomato, to serve
1 sliced cucumber, to serve
3 cups finely shredded lettuce, to serve
1 lemon, quartered, to serve (optional)

Shawarma seasoning (makes double)

1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp ground allspice
2 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt

Garlic sesame sauce

1 cup yoghurt
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey
2 cloves crushed garlic
½ tsp salt
drizzle of olive oil

Method

Combine the ingredients for the shawarma seasoning. Mix half of the mixture with the oil and rub all over the lamb. Reserve the remaining seasoning for future use. Allow the lamb to marinate in the fridge overnight.
Preheat the oven to 175°C (155°C fan-forced). Place the onion chunks in the base of a lidded pan or roasting tray and place the lamb on top. Add a cup of water to the pan, cover tightly and roast for 4 hours. You can uncover the lamb for the last 30 minutes if you like it well-browned. Wrap the pita bread in foil and place in the oven for the last 20 minutes of cooking to warm through.
Remove lamb from the oven, baste with the juices from the pan and rest for 15 minutes. Combine the ingredients for the sauce, finishing with a drizzle of olive oil. Scatter the lamb with parsley and pine nuts and serve with the pitas, fillings and sauce.