Name: Spiced lamb with cracked wheat and green olive salad
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6 - 8
Ingredients: 1 boned lamb shoulder (about 1.5kg), at room temperature; To serve: lemon wedges and harissa; Spice mixture; 100 gm butter, melted; 1 tbsp each cumin seeds and coriander seeds, coarsely crushed in a mortar and pestle; ½ tsp fennel seeds, coarsely crushed in a mortar and pestle; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; Cracked wheat salad; 300 gm cracked freekeh; 1 small white onion, finely chopped; 2 cups (firmly packed) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped; 180 gm (1½ cups) pitted green olives, coarsely crushed; Juice of 3 lemons; ½ preserved lemon, flesh and pith discarded, rind rinsed and finely chopped; 150 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 2½ tbsp pomegranate seeds, to serve

Spiced lamb with cracked wheat and green olive salad

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for spiced lamb with cracked wheat and green olive salad.

Serves 6 - 8

Prep

30M

Cook

40M

Total

1H 10M

Ingredients

1 boned lamb shoulder (about 1.5kg), at room temperature

To serve: lemon wedges and harissa

Spice mixture

100 gm butter, melted

1 tbsp each cumin seeds and coriander seeds, coarsely crushed in a mortar and pestle

½ tsp fennel seeds, coarsely crushed in a mortar and pestle

1 tsp sweet paprika

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Cracked wheat salad

300 gm cracked freekeh

1 small white onion, finely chopped

2 cups (firmly packed) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

180 gm (1½ cups) pitted green olives, coarsely crushed

Juice of 3 lemons

½ preserved lemon, flesh and pith discarded, rind rinsed and finely chopped

150 ml extra-virgin olive oil

2½ tbsp pomegranate seeds, to serve

Method

Main

1.For spice mixture, combine ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

2.For cracked wheat salad, cook freekeh in a large saucepan of boiling water until tender (8-10 minutes), then drain in a fine sieve and spread on a tray to dry (20 minutes). Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl, add cooled freekeh, season to taste, toss to combine and refrigerate until required. The salad can be made a day ahead.

3.Season lamb shoulder and char-grill over medium heat, basting occasionally with spice mixture (fat may flare, so turn often), until fat is golden-brown and, for medium-rare, a meat thermometer reads 60C, or a metal skewer inserted for 20 seconds feels hot when touched to your lip (20-30 minutes). Set aside to rest (15 minutes), then slice and serve with cracked freekeh salad, lemon wedges and harissa.