Moroccan Barbecued Lamb

Moroccan Barbecued Lamb

Geoff Jansz prepared and barbecued a boned shoulder of lamb, Moroccan-style. Geoff says that cheaper cuts of meat, such as a shoulder of lamb, often have the best flavour.

You’ll need

• 1 shoulder of lamb (ask the butcher to remove the bone and flatten the shoulder out)
• Marinade1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, crushed
• 1 teaspoon garlic, crushed
• juice of half a lemon
• handful chopped coriander leaves
• olive oil
• Mint yoghurt dressing1 cup yoghurt
• 1/2 cup mint
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• salt and pepper, to taste

Garnish

• toasted almonds
• sultanas
• fried onion rings

Method

1. Trim excess sinew and fat from the lamb and place the shoulder into a large dish with the marinade ingredients.
2. Cover and leave for at least 2 hours, and up to 2 days in the refrigerator. (Note: do not leave meat to marinate at room temperature. The marinade will not prevent the meat from spoiling.)
3. Before you begin to barbecue, make the mint yoghurt dressing. Blend together the yoghurt, mint, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Allow to sit for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to mix.
4. Place the lamb on the hot barbecue then turn the heat down. Turn the meat only once. When the meat is cooked to your liking, take it off the heat and leave in a warm place to ‘rest’ for 10 minutes, allowing the juices to reabsorb through the meat. (Tip: leftover marinade should not be used as a sauce, because it has had raw meat in it and could cause food poisoning.)
5. Carve the lamb. Serve with the mint, yoghurt dressing and a fresh salad.
6. Garnish with toasted almonds, fried onion rings and sultanas or raisins.