Pitta breads with couscous and roasted lamb

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
6 larges White pitta breads - For the Lamb ---
700 grams Shoulder of lamb on the bone
2 tablespoons Lemon juice
1 teaspoon (level) chilli flakes
1 teaspoon (rounded) ground coriander
1 teaspoon (rounded) ground ginger
½ teaspoon (level) freshly ground black pepper
1 small Clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 small Aubergine (about 275g)
2 tablespoons Olive oil
175 grams Pitted black olives, drained - For the Couscous ---
225 grams Couscous
75 millilitres Lemon juice
4 tablespoons Olive oil
4 Medium-ripe tomatoes
20 grams Fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves removed, roughly chopped, reserving 6 sprigs for garnish
200 grams Salad onions, trimmed fine sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper - For the Dressing ---
1½ tablespoon Olive oil
1½ tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
2½ Cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

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.

Recipe by: Sainsbury's Mag July 1997, Cooking for a Summers Day w Meat Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #656 by Kerry Erwin <kerry@...> on Jul 06, 1997

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