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Mechoui
Slow-roast lamb shoulder
Mechoui: Marrakech's pit-roasted lamb, done as a slow-roast shoulder that pulls apart, with cumin and salt
Under the arcades by the Marrakech spice square, mechoui sellers lift whole lambs out of clay pits sunk in the ground, where they have roasted since dawn, and sell it by weight with a twist of paper holding cumin and salt. A home oven cannot quite reproduce the pit, but a bone-in shoulder rubbed with garlic, paprika and cumin and roasted low and slow gets you close: crackling-crisp outside, tender enough to pull apart with fingers inside. It is festival and wedding food, and also a Sunday treat, eaten with bread and nothing more than the salt-cumin dip. Many cooks baste with butter; olive oil keeps this version dairy free. Chef's tip: leave the lamb uncovered for the last 30 minutes at a higher heat; that short blast is what gives the bark-like crust.
- Total time
- 290 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 4 ⅞ lb bone-in lamb shoulder
- 6 garlic clovescrushed
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 cup water
To serve
- 2 tbsp ground cuminfor dipping
- 1 tbsp flaky saltfor dipping
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Take 4 ⅞ lb bone-in lamb shoulder out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Mix 6 garlic cloves, ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tsp sweet paprika, 2 tsp ground cumin and 2 tsp salt into a paste.
Step 2: Heat the oven to 325°F (fan 275°F). Prick the lamb all over with a small knife and rub the paste into the cuts and over every surface.
Step 3: Put the lamb in a roasting tin, pour 1 cup water around it, cover tightly with foil and roast for 3½ hours, basting with the pan juices every hour.
210 minStep 4: Uncover, turn the oven up to 400°F (fan 375°F) and roast for 30–40 minutes more, until the outside is deep brown and crisp and the meat pulls cleanly from the bone. A common mistake is pulling it out when it is merely cooked; for mechoui it must be soft enough to tear with your fingers.
35 minStep 5: Rest the lamb for 15 minutes under loose foil.
15 minStep 6: Mix 2 tbsp ground cumin and 1 tbsp flaky salt in a small bowl. Bring the whole shoulder to the table and let everyone pull off pieces and dip them in the cumin salt.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 45 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mechoui take?
- About 290 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 270 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of sweet paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
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