Za'atar-spiced lamb neck and baba ganoush tacos
by
The Middle East meets Mexico in this fun, fusion za'atar lamb neck taco recipe. The lamb is marinated in his heady spice and herb mix, before charring on a griddle pan for a stunning flavour. The taco has added smoky richness thanks to the homemade baba ganoush, and is lifted by sweet pomegranate seeds and refreshing mint.
Ingredients
Lamb
- 500g of lamb neck fillets
Za’atar spice mix
- 2 tbsp of dried thyme
- 1 tbsp of dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp of sesame seeds
- 1 tsp sumac
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
Baba ganoush
- 2 aubergines
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 lemon , zest and juice
- 1 handful of mint leaves , chopped
- 1 handful of coriander leaves , chopped
- salt
- pepper
To garnish
- 8 corn tortillas
- pomegranate seeds
- yoghurt
- 1 handful of mint leaves
Method
1
Mix all the ingredients for the za’atar spice mix together in a small bowl. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of the za'atar liberally over the lamb necks and store the rest in an airtight container. Leave the lamb necks to marinade for at least 1 hour, but you can do this overnight if preferred
- 2 tbsp of dried thyme
- 1 tbsp of dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp of sesame seeds
- 1 tsp sumac
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 500g of lamb neck fillets
2
To make the baba ganoush, place the aubergines directly over an open flame on your gas stove or grill. Leave to char, turning every 5 minutes with metal tongs so that the skin is completely blackened and the flesh is soft. This will take around 20 minutes
3
Place the blackened aubergines into a colander in the sink and gently press to drain any liquid. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel the charred skin off and discard. Place the aubergine flesh back into a clean colander and squeeze out as much liquid as you can
4
Add the aubergine flesh to a blender along with the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Blend to a paste, or pulse to keep a chunkier texture if preferred. Fold in the chopped herbs
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 lemon , zest and juice
- salt
- pepper
- 1 handful of mint leaves , chopped
- 1 handful of coriander leaves , chopped
5
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
6
Place a griddle pan over a high heat and once smoking, add the lamb necks. Leave to char for about 4 minutes then turn over and cook the other side. Place in the oven for 4 minutes to finish, then leave to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes
7
Carve the lamb into slices, going against the grain of the meat
8
To assemble, spread some baba ganoush in the centre of each tortilla then arrange the lamb slices in a line down the centre. Top with a drizzle of yoghurt, pomegranate seeds and mint leaves
Discover more:
Go to Comments
Za'atar-spiced lamb neck and baba ganoush tacos
