Ihsan Gurdal, the owner of Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, Massachusetts (a specialty food shop and the first place I worked…
Ihsan Gurdal, the owner of Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, Massachusetts (a specialty food shop and the first place I worked after college), grew up in Turkey. He introduced me, and probably many other American cooks, to baharat, a Turkish spice blend that’s typically used as a seasoning for lamb.
It’s what I use to season the leg of lamb in this recipe from my cookbook “Repertoire.”
The blend varies depending on its maker, but it usually contains many of the spices Americans think of as “holiday baking spices,” including cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves, as well as dried mint. You can find premade versions, but it’s simple to make your own.
If you have any harissa lying around, it’s a killer condiment for this lamb dish. A cucumber-yogurt salad (chopped or grated cukes, Greek-style yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, and salt and pepper) would also be a nice accompaniment. Note that the lamb needs to marinate overnight or for up to two days.
Grilled Leg of Lamb
Servings: 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 (3- to 4-pound) boneless leg of lamb
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
In a small bowl, mix together the dried mint, oregano, black pepper, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves.
Put the lamb on a work surface fat-side down. Holding a sharp knife parallel to the cutting board, slice into the thicker sections of the meat, cutting in the direction that will allow you to open the section like a book, but not cutting all the way through. The goal is to butterfly the piece of lamb to a uniform thickness so it will grill more evenly. Trim off any visible sinew or large pockets of fat. Flip the lamb over, fat-side up, and trim off and discard any excess fat cap (do not trim off all the fat, as it will baste the meat as it cooks).
Season the lamb generously on both sides with salt, then season with the spice mixture, using all of it. Transfer to a rimmed plate or baking dish and drizzle on both sides with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days.
Remove the lamb from the refrigerator an hour or two before you plan to grill and let come to room temperature.
Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for direct, medium-high-heat grilling. When the grill is hot, lay the lamb on the grill grate, fat-side down. Grill, flipping occasionally, until the meat is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 135°F, about 30 minutes. Depending on the amount of fat on the lamb, you may want to brush or drizzle the meat with additional olive oil as it cooks; it should look glistening and juicy. If the lamb is browning too quickly or if dripping fat is causing flare-ups, move the meat to a cooler part of the grill until the coals die down (if using a gas grill, lower the heat on one section of the grill and move the lamb to the cooler zone).
To serve, slice the lamb into thin slices.
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Jessica Battilana is a staff editor at King Arthur Baking Company, and has contributed to several of their cookbooks, including “King Arthur Baking Company’s Big Book of Bread.” She previously wrote the “Repertoire” column for the San Francisco Chronicle and has co-authored cookbooks. Her work has appeared in many publications. She lives in Maine with her wife and children.
Excerpted from “Repertoire” by Jessica Battilana. Copyright (copyright) 2018 by Jessica Battilana. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.
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