Moroccan Spiced Lamb

,Morocco, just like many Middle Eastern countries is famous for using many different and exotic spices when cooking. They are all so aromatic and layered with many levels of flavors. Moroccan food is not spicy in the typical sense where we think of it as being HOT, but it is spicy in that a wide variety of spices are used. This must-have spice mix in the Moroccan canon typically consists of more than a dozen ingredients. Among the more popular ones are cardamom, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, dry ginger, chili peppers, coriander seed, peppercorn, sweet and hot paprika, fenugreek, and turmeric. For those of you unfamiliar with Moroccan food, it is similar to Indian food, and many of the same spices are used, but it is a much milder version. Both are delicious and will be an exotic adventure for your tastebuds. But if you are a bit hesitant about the heat from Indian foods, maybe Moroccan is the best choice, at least for starters.

Because we were celebrating two birthdays, I let the birthday girls decide what they wanted me to prepare. Priscilla loves lamb, so lamb it was. I also cooked chicken for those who are not lamb lovers. I was inspired by a recipe I had seen for Moroccan spiced lamb, so that became the theme for the party. Old Friends Are The Best Friends

I used the same marinade for both the chicken and the lamb and let them set for about 8 hours before cooking. I made a marinade rather than a rub this time, which also acted as a meat tenderizer. Obviously I was cooking a lot of meat, so I doubled my recipe.

Moroccan Spiced Lamb

2-3 lbs lamb roast (or chicken)

1 TBSP garlic

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp mint

1 tsp cardamon

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar – I used my Sicilian Lemon Balsamic vinegar

1 TBSP lemon juice

Combine everything together and mix well, then pour over the meat and marinate for at least 3-4 hours, or up to overnight.

Originally Larry was going to smoke all the meat, and when he pulls out the smoker, he smokes a lot of meat. So we had the pork loin as well. Not long after he started the smoker though, he ran out of pellets, so we put everything on the grill instead.

Lamb is always best when it is a nice medium rare. It was cooked to perfection, and it was so tender and moist. It was a huge it with everyone.

Because we had so much food (no one will EVER go hungry at my house), I have quite a bit of lamb leftover, so we will be eating it for a few more meals yet to come. That is perfectly OK with me though since it was delicious.

Enjoy your days. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.