Moroccan Slow Smoked Shoulder of Lamb with Homemade Flatbreads

It was bank holiday so I thought i’d do myself a little man food. This recipe takes a fair old while and will leave you smelling like a bonfire but it’s well worth it in the end. If you don’t have a smoker you can start the lamb off on a barbecue then just finish off in the oven.

You will need:

1 Large Shoulder of Lamb

For the marinade:

2 Cloves of garlic

2 tbs of Harissa Paste

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

1 tsp Fennel Seeds

1 tbs Ras El Hanout

3 tbs Olive Oil

1 tbs Clear Honey

1 tsp Dried Rosemary

1. Take the lamb and stab it with a sharp knife in several places and then push the slices of garlic in to the holes. Then take all the marinade ingredients and massage well in to the meat on both sides before popping in to the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours but overnight if you can be bothered to wait that long.

2. In the meantime get your barbecue or smoker ready. If you are using a smoker I used charcoal to get things going and then oak chunks. Once it is up to heat place the lamb on the smoker skin side up and cover. The smoking process will take about 2 hours. The meat wont be cooked all the way through. What you are aiming for is some good colour and the smoke to get in to the meat. Take a pot of Harissa and add 5 tbs of Olive Oil. You will need to keep turning the meat and when you so brush with a little of this glaze.

3. Now you need to turn your oven on and pre heat to 140 degrees. You will need to prepare a bed on which the lamb can sit. This will eventually form the sauce once you’ve blended it all up. Place all the ingredients below in to a large roasting tray then sit the lamb on top and cover with tin foil before placing in the oven for 5 hours.

4. Once this is done you will need to take the lamb and to rest. Take the skins off the onions then skim off as much fat as you can. Then using a hand blender blitz until you have a thick relatively smooth sauce. Put the pan back on the heat and let reduce for about 10-15 minutes.

For the sauce

6 tomatoes

2 Large Onions Sliced (skin on)

1 Jar Roasted Mixed Peppers

2 Lemons

1 tbs Dark Soy

1 tbs Ras El Hanout

Salt

Pepper

4 Cloves of Garlic

1 tsp Dried Rosemary

1 Pint Water

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

2 tbs Olive Oil.

To make the breads:

250g/9oz plain flour

2 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

110-130ml milk

2 tbsp vegetable oil (plus extra for greasing)

1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds

Pinch of Chilli Flakes

Pinch of pepper

1. In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients and then empty out on to a large surface. Make a small well in the middle. Add the oil to the milk and give it a little whisk. Slowly pour a little mixture in to the middle bringing the flour in to the middle. The dough will slowly come together. Once it had knead for 10 minutes before placing in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a warm damp tea-towel.

2. Heat a griddle pan with a tiny bit of oil. Then take some of the dough (about the size of a snooker ball) On a floured surface roll out the dough to about 1 cm. Place on the hot griddle then cook for a couple of minutes each side.

Toppings:

This is really up to you what you put with these but I would suggest the following:

Griddled Courgettes sliced in to ribbons. Season with a little salt and griddle for a couple of minutes each side to get a nice char.

Tzaziki. Make this up with 4 tbs of Greek Yorghurt, 1 tbs chopped cucumber, 1 tsp fresh chopped mint, pinch of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

Piquillo Peppers, Finely chopped

Mixed Baby Leaves

Cress

Squeeze of Lemon

Time to assemble. Place the flatbreads on a board and brush with a little melted butter. In a bowl take a portion of the lamb and add a couple of tablespoons of the sauce and give it a good mix. Now pick your favourite toppings and scatter over the top and tuck in.

Enjoy!