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a close view of za'atar spice blend |
I love cooking with Middle Eastern spices. And Za'atar ou Zaatar is a wonderfully tangy, herb-forward Middle Eastern traditional spice blend. Za'atar is very versatile,it can be used on meat,veggies,rice,bread,in dipping oil.. It's a mixture of dried herbs, sesame seeds, and sumac, and often salt, a centuries-old mixture dating back to the 13th century, at least. What those herbs are and how all those ingredients are proportioned changes from culture to culture and family to family. In much of the Middle East, za'atar recipes are closely guarded secrets, and there are also substantial regional variations. In Jordan, the za'atar is particularly heavy on the sumac, so it looks red. Lebanese za'atar may have dried orange zest; Israeli za'atar (adopted from Arab communities much like the American adoption of salsa) often includes dried dill. But
there are some standards: the most common herbs are thyme and oregano and they make up the bulk of the blend. Marjoram, mint, sage, or savory are also common. You can buy za'atar at a local Middle Eastern Market or at gourmet or spice stores like Penzeys,Christina spices in Cambridge,Ma or at Dean and DeLuca online store.
Give it a try and use some Za'atar in your kitchen, I bet you will like it!
Give it a try and use some Za'atar in your kitchen, I bet you will like it!
Za'atar Crusted Leg Of Lamb
Ingredients
1- 5lbs to 6 lbs of boneless leg of lamb
3 springs of fresh rosemary leaves picked
5 cloves garlic cut in lengthwise in smaller pieces
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup za'atar
salt
pepper
How to make it:
preheat oven to 300F
Make incisions into the lamb with a small paring knife.Stuff the rosemary and garlic deep down into the incisions you have made.
Tie the lamb with butcher twine for a more even cook.
Pour olive oil liberally over the lamb and rub in with your hand, sprinkle with salt and pepper all over and rub a good amount of za'atar all over the lamb.
Place the lamb into the preheated oven at 300F for one hour. After one hour lower the oven to 220F and check the lamb every hour basting with the juices from the lamb all over it using a pastry brush.
The total cook time for the lamb will be about 5 - 5:30 hours depending on the size of the lamb and the oven you are using. What we are looking here is a very tender leg of lamb, you can insert a small knife on the top and if you encounter no resistance that means the lamb is ready. Take out the oven. There is no need to rest the meat when cooked this way. Tranfer to a platter slice it and its ready to be served.
For the sides, couscous and roasted cauliflower with wilted arugula or spinach will go really well.
Enjoy,
Pri =)
Ingredients
1- 5lbs to 6 lbs of boneless leg of lamb
3 springs of fresh rosemary leaves picked
5 cloves garlic cut in lengthwise in smaller pieces
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup za'atar
salt
pepper
How to make it:
preheat oven to 300F
Make incisions into the lamb with a small paring knife.Stuff the rosemary and garlic deep down into the incisions you have made.
Tie the lamb with butcher twine for a more even cook.
Pour olive oil liberally over the lamb and rub in with your hand, sprinkle with salt and pepper all over and rub a good amount of za'atar all over the lamb.
Place the lamb into the preheated oven at 300F for one hour. After one hour lower the oven to 220F and check the lamb every hour basting with the juices from the lamb all over it using a pastry brush.
The total cook time for the lamb will be about 5 - 5:30 hours depending on the size of the lamb and the oven you are using. What we are looking here is a very tender leg of lamb, you can insert a small knife on the top and if you encounter no resistance that means the lamb is ready. Take out the oven. There is no need to rest the meat when cooked this way. Tranfer to a platter slice it and its ready to be served.
For the sides, couscous and roasted cauliflower with wilted arugula or spinach will go really well.
Enjoy,
Pri =)
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| Stuffing with garlic and rosemary |
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| Ready for oven! if you have a few extra garlic and rosemary you can place the in your roasting pan as well with the lamb |
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| Lamb already sliced. Unfortunately ,I forgot to take a picture before slicing |
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