Moroccan food can be pungent and spicy. But in this recipe, the spices infuse the lamb as it cooks gently over indirect heat. A perfect and authentic accompaniment would be couscous with golden raisins. From Weber’s Art of the Grill, one of my favorite grilling cookbooks.
PREP TIME DOES NOT INCLUDE 1 HOUR MARINATING TIME
Ingredients: [‘whole coriander seeds’, ‘whole black peppercorns’, ‘whole cloves’, ‘garlic’, ‘oranges’, ‘kosher salt’, ‘olive oil’, ‘leg of lamb’]
Quantity of Ingredients: [“2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds”,”2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns”,”1/2 teaspoon whole cloves”,”3 tablespoons garlic, minced “,”2 large oranges, grated zest only “,”1 teaspoon kosher salt”,”1/4 cup olive oil”,”3 -4 lbs leg of lamb, boneless and butterflied “]
Number of Servings: 6
Steps: [‘Make the paste: In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, toast the coriander seeds, peppercorns and cloves. Shake the pan occasionally, until the spices begin to smoke, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a mortar or spice grinder and grind. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in the garlic, orange zest, salt and olive oil.’, ‘Spread the leg of lamb flat. Trim the excess fat and sinew from the inside and the outside. With the fat side facing down, use a sharp knife to make several horizontal slits at a 45 degree angle into the thickest parts of the lamb, until the meat is of even thickness. With a meat mallet, pound the lamb to an even thinness of about 1 1/2 inches.’, ‘Spread the spice paste evenly over both sides of the lamb. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or as long as 8 hours.’, ‘Grill the lamb, fat side down first, directly over medium heat, turning once. The lamb will take 15-25 minutes to reach medium rare.’, ‘Remove the lamb from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Carve the meat on a slight diagonal across the grain. Serve warm.’]