Mechoui Lamb Roast (Home-Style Moroccan Lamb)

La storia di questo piatto

Mechoui belongs to the Maghreb, where lamb is the dish of gathering, the centrepiece that turns a table into a celebration. This home version carries that spirit into an ordinary kitchen: shoulder or leg on the bone, scented with ras el hanout, cumin, paprika and garlic, with no claim to ancient ritual, only a faithful nod to a beloved tradition.

Ingredienti

• 2,2 kg Bone-in lamb shoulder or leg
• 2 tablespoons Ras el hanout
• 2 teaspoons Ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons Sweet paprika
• 60 ml Olive oil
• 40 g Clarified butter (or smen), softened
• 6 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 2 piece Lemons (juice of 1 for the marinade, juice of the other at the end of cooking)
• 2 tablespoons Coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon Black pepper
• 300 ml Meat broth
• 1 bunch Fresh coriander, chopped

Preparazione

1. In a large bowl, mix the ras el hanout, cumin, paprika, oil, softened clarified butter, crushed garlic, the juice of 1 lemon, salt and black pepper until you have a fragrant, smooth paste. Using the tip of a knife, make deep cuts all over the meat. Rub the marinade over the entire surface, working it into the incisions and close to the bone: this is where the flavour of the dish is born.
2. Place the lamb in a lidded container or a food bag and refrigerate for 24 hours (minimum 12). Turn it a couple of times while it rests so the marinade distributes evenly.
3. Take the lamb out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Place the meat in the roasting tin, pour the broth around it (not over it, so you don't wash off the marinade) and cover tightly with foil, sealing the edges well. Roast covered for 3 hours 30 minutes: the moisture stays inside and the meat becomes tender.
4. Uncover the tin, raise the oven to 200°C and roast for another 25-30 minutes, until the surface turns golden brown and slightly crisp.
5. Check doneness with a fork near the bone: the meat should release without resistance. If needed, cook for a few more minutes.
6. Remove the lamb from the oven and let it rest covered with foil for 15 minutes so the juices redistribute through the meat.
7. Collect the pan juices from the roasting tin, skim off the fat with a spoon and reduce them in a small saucepan over high heat for a few minutes until thick and flavourful. Pull the meat off the bone with your hands or two forks, toss it with the reduced juices and a drizzle of juice from the second lemon. Finish with the chopped fresh coriander and serve with warm Maghrebi bread or fluffy couscous, accompanied by salt and cumin for dipping.