Recipe

June 28, 2019

Grilled Moroccan Lamb With Honey Yogurt And Za’atar Bread

Recipe: Colin Tooke

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Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, plus 8 hours marinating time

“We were in Morocco this year, and those flavors were new to me, so I started playing around at home,” says Toronto restauranteur Colin Tooke. “It’s perfect for a summer barbecue. Most of the ingredients are easy to find, and it’s foolproof to make. You can switch to pork if you’re not a big lamb fan, but it’s not super ‘lamby,’ so it’s good for everyone.”

Ingredients

Lamb Skewers

  • 1 1⁄2 lb. boneless lamb shoulder
  • 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, torn
  • 3 tbsp harissa powder (or 3 tbsp harissa paste)
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1⁄4 cup olive oil
  • Fresh lemon juice, to finish

Honey Yogurt

  • 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
  • 1⁄4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tsp grated lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tbsp wild flower honey

Grilled Za’atar Bread

  • 6 thick slices fresh sour dough bread
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp za’atar spice

To Serve

  • Drizzle of honey, to finish
  • 1 tsp harissa powder, to finish
  • Lemon “cheeks”

Directions

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Marinate Meat

  1. Roughly cut lamb into 1-inch cubes, taking care to remove any excess fat or sinew. Cubes don’t need to be perfect; rustic is best. Place in large bowl.
  2. Add garlic, parsley, harissa, lemon zest, pepper, salt and olive oil to bowl. Massage flavorings into meat.
  3. Marinate in fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Grill Skewers

  1. Preheat gas or charcoal grill to medium-high. Thread lamb onto metal skewers, about 6 pieces per skewer. (If substituting wooden skewers, soak skewers 30 minutes in water first to keep them from burning.)
  2. Let lamb come to room temperature.
  3. Season lamb with salt and transfer to grill. Grill, turning occasionally, until charred and crusty on outside and still slightly pink on inside, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  4. Remove from grill and finish with splash of fresh lemon juice.

Make Honey Yogurt

  1. Whisk all ingredients together and let come to room temperature before serving.

Make Grilled Za’atar Bread

  1. Brush bread with olive oil.
  2. Grill to get crusty grill marks.
  3. Finish with dusting of za’atar spice.

Plate And Serve

  1. Serve lamb skewers atop heavy dollop of honey yogurt.
  2. Finish with drizzle of honey, dusting of harissa powder and cheek of lemon, plus grilled bread to soak up leftovers.
Photographer:

Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott

Source:

House & Home August 2016

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