Serves 6
Ingredients
Zatar spice mix
2Tbsp smoked paprika (sweet)
3Tbsp Sumac
3Tbsp Cumind seeds – toasted
1Tbsp Coriander seeds – toasted
3Tbsp Seasame seeds – toasted
1Tbsp flakey sea salt
Lamb
½ cup canola oil (or similar)
2 onions, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
1 bulb garlic, roughly chopped
2 cups chicken stock
1 lamb shoulder – deboned
Flakey sea salt and fresh black pepper
Condiments
Roasted red capsicums
Red onion
Coriander
Hot sauce
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Sugar
Flakey sea salt and fresh black pepper
Sour cream
Ground cumin seed
Flour tortillas
Limes, halved
Slice red chilli
Method
1. In a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle, process all the zatar ingredients to medium fine.
2. Pre-heat your oven to 170 degrees.
3. Place a large skillet or similar on medium-high heat. Once hot, add some of the oil along with the chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
4. While the vegetables are cooking, season the lamb shoulder liberally with flakey sea salt and fresh black pepper, then rub over the zatar spice mix, hold.
5. Once the vegetables begin to carmelise, tip into a roasting dish.
6. Place the skillet back on the heat, add a little more oil, then carefully place the lamb shoulder in the skillet. Cook on either side for five minutes or so until golden.
7. Remove the lamb and place on top of the cooked vegetables in the roastring tray. Place the pan back on the heat and deglaze with the two cups of chicken stock. Pour into the roasting tray.
8. Cover with tinfoil, place the roastring dish ontop of the stove top on high heat. After a few minutes place in the pre-heated oven. Check the lamb after 2 ½ hours, and remove from the oven when the lamb is super tender and falling apart with any pressure.
9. For the roasted capsicums, peel and discard the skin, remove pips, then slice into thin lengths. Place in a bowl. Thinly slice some red onion and add that to the capsicums along with some chopped coriander, hot sauce to your liking, lemon juice, a good glug of olive oil, pinch of sugar then season with flakey sea salt and fresh black pepper.
10. For the sour cream, just add a tablespoon or so of ground cumin. Taste and add a little bit more if you want to turn the taste volume up.
11. When ready to serve, remove the lamb from the braising liquid and roughly chop.
12. Wrap your flour tortillas in tinfoil and place in the oven at 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes to heat through.
13. Serve family style with all the condiments on the side. Its a create your own tacos situation.