Lamb Sharwama

Lamb Sharwama is roasted lamb meat using the gorgeous spicies of the mediterranean and Northern Africa. Using two great methods of seasoning meat, brining and marinating to create a moist succulent roast.

I have heard of lamb sharwama for years before I actually tried it out and it became a hit by my books as I love spicy food, check out benefits here. The amazing spices for this recipe fills yor home with the amazing aroma of these mediterraneaan/ North African spicies.

To season, I first brine the meat in salt water for about 6-8 hours or overnight. Then, rinse in cold water and rub the marinade all over the meat and pop into the oven at 375F using your roast setting for 3-4 hours or until done as you like your roast basting often.

Traditionally, sharwama is cooked on a vertical rotisserie, a device where the meat is hunged on a pole and allowed to rotate over a heating source which may be an oven or a campfire basting often to prevent meat from drying out.

After cooking the roast is then cut in small bite size pieces to make a sandwitch wrap with hummous and salad.

Sharwama piecesSharwama cut to bite size
Roast MeatSharwama is a spicy meat roast enjoyed in the Mediterranean and Most of Northern Africa. Like most meals and recipes, spicies used in seasoning sharwama, varies from person to person, region to region. Sharwama is mostly paired with pita bread, hummous, salad or dipped into any spicy sauce of your choice as a snack or appetizer.. 0Save

Let's Cook Lamb Sharwama

Lamb Sharwama Recipe

Servings: 4-6

Prep Time:At least 6 hours

Cooking Time: 3-4hours

Ingredients

  • 1 leg of lamb preferably in bone (lamb shanks would do as well). The one I used was 2.5kg or about 5pounds. Approximately, anything close is fine.

For Brine,

  • 1/4 Cup of Salt
  • 1/4 Cup of lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon crushed peppercorns
  • 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
  • 6-8 Bay leaves

For Marinade,

  • 1/4 Cup of lemon juice
  • 1/2 Cup of canola oil or any vegetable oil of choice
  • 1 Star Anise
  • 1 Teaspoon peppercorns
  • 1 Teaspoon Cardamon seed
  • 1 Teaspoon Fennel seed
  • 4-5 Cloves
  • 1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon 
  • 1 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 Teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 Teaspon ground ginger
  • 2 Teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 Teaspoon ground garlic
  • A bunch of parsley

Method

Trim off any fat on meat, rinse and transfer into a bowl.

To prepare brine, transfer all brine ingredients into a pot along with two litres of water. Place on stove and bring to a boil about 10-15minutes. Take it off stovetop and allow to cool completely. Then pour in the brine into the bowl containing the lamb submerging lamb completely in brine. Leave in the fridge for at least 6hours or overnight (never leave fresh meat in room temperature for more than two hours to prevent contamination).

For Marinade,

It is good practice to toast your spices first, that 'wakes up' the flavour.

Heat up a skillet on medium heat and toast the star anise, fennel seed, peppercorns, cardamon seeds and cloves for about 2-3 minutes then stir in all the other ground dry ingredients for about 30 seconds be careful so you do not burn the spices it affects the final taste in a bad way. Allow spices to cool completely.

Transfer all spices to a dry blender and blend everything to powder.

Combine the lemon juice and oil with the ground spices and you have your marinade.

Rub the entire meat with the marinade and pop into a pre heated oven at 375F for 3-4 hours or until cooked to your liking, basting hourly  with the juices that runs from meat (brining before hand makes meat produce more of this!).

Transfer the roast to chopping board or any claen surface allow to rest for about 20minutes and carve to small pieces to serve.

Roast can stay in fridge for 5-7days or freeze for up to a month.

Recipe provided by www.AfricanFoods.co.uk

You may skip the brining bit if you choose but I believe for a thick cut of meat just marinating would not properly season the meat. Salt in my opinon is the main seasoning ingredient and may not penetrate through the entire meat. Brining gives added flavour and should be done for best result.

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