6 lg White pitta breads
— For the Lamb —
700 g Shoulder of lamb on the bone
2 tb Lemon juice
1 ts (level) chilli flakes
1 ts (rounded) ground coriander
1 ts (rounded) ground ginger
1/2 ts (level) freshly ground black
-pepper
1 sm Clove garlic, peeled and
-crushed
1 sm Aubergine (about 275g)
2 tb Olive oil
175 g Pitted black olives, drained
— For the Couscous —
225 g Couscous
75 ml Lemon juice
4 tb Olive oil
4 Medium-ripe tomatoes
20 g Fresh flat-leaf parsley,
-leaves removed, roughly
-chopped, reserving 6 sprigs
-for garnish
200 g Salad onions, trimmed fine
-sliced
Salt and freshly ground
-black pepper
— For the Dressing —
1 1/2 tb Olive oil
1 1/2 tb Balsamic vinegar
2 1/2 Cm fresh ginger, peeled and
-grated
Salt and freshly ground
-black pepper
Prepare the lamb the day before. First of all combine the lemon juice,
chilli flakes, ground coriander, ginger, black pepper and the crushed
garlic. Rub this marinade all over the lamb, place in a roasting tin, cover
with clingfilm and chill in the fridge overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Remove the lamb from the
fridge 30 minutes before you want to start cooking it. Roast the lamb for 1
hour 20 minutes for pink lamb, giving it a further 30 minutes if you prefer
it well done.
While the lamb is cooking, prepare the couscous by putting it in a
medium-sized bowl with the lemon juice, olive oil and 275ml of boiling
water. Stir the grains with a fork, then cover with clingfilm and leave to
stand for 15 minutes to soften – the couscous should be moist but not wet.
If it is too dry, add more boiling water.
Put the tomatoes in a small bowl, pour sufficient boiling water over to
cover, slowly count to 15, pour off the water and then quickly fill the
bowl with cold water. This will stop the cooking process. Drain, lift the
tomatoes out, peel and discard the skins, quarter the flesh and then scoop
the seeds out with a teaspoon and throw away. Cut the flesh into 1cm dice
and return to the bowl. Add the roughly chopped parsley and mint leaves to
the couscous, along with the tomatoes and salad onions. Season, mix well to
combine, cover and put aside.
Preheat a griddle pan over a high heat for 3-4 minutes or the grill for at
least 5 minutes.
Cut the aubergine lengthways into 4 and then cut each of these quarters
into 3 long, fat batons. Brush well with the olive oil and place on the
griddle or a baking sheet. Griddle on a medium heat or place the baking
sheet under the grill for 4-5 minutes, turning the aubergines until they
are brown on all sides. Allow to cool and cut into 2cm cubes. While the
griddle or grill is still hot, warm the pittas through for about 1 minute
on each side, then split.
Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
When the lamb is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it cool for about
an hour in its tin. Then, using a very sharp knife, cut the lamb down
either side of the bone, trim all the fat and any sinew and discard. Dice
the lamb into 1in cubes, put these in a bowl, along with the aubergine
cubes, pitted olives and the dressing. Mix well and season.
Spoon the couscous into one side of each pitta bread, and the lamb,
aubergine and olive mixture into the other. Garnish with the reserved
parsley and mint, arrange in a dish or basket and serve.
Suggested Wine: Sainsbury’s Copertino Riserva 4.29
NOTES : This Middle Eastern recipe requires quite a lot of effort, but I
can promise you it is worth it. Shoulder of lamb is a sweet and succulent
cut to use and its flavour is enhanced by this spicy, aromatic marinade.
These filled pittas are perfect picnic fare.
Yields
6 Servings