Yemeni Lamb Haneeth

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion (peeled and quartered)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1½ teaspoon cumin
• 1½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1½ teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 5 teaspoons salt
• 2½ kilogram lamb shoulder, bone in, fat trimmed (cleaned and washed)
• 10 cloves garlic (peeled)
• 2 medium onions (thinly sliced)
• 12 small potatoes (peeled, washed and halved (see notes))
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 10 cardamom pods
• 10 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 7 cloves
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups water
• fresh pita bread
• basmati rice (see notes for cooking method)

Steps

1. 1

   Note: If marinating overnight, you need to start this recipe the night before. If marinating for 4 hours, you need to start at 9 am for a 6 pm finish.

2. 2

   In a food processor blend together the onion, olive oil, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, coriander and salt until well blended and a thick paste forms.

3. 3

   To prepare the lamb shoulder, pat it dry with paper towel. If required, trim off any excess fat. Using a sharp knife, make deep slits (3-4 cm long) all over the shoulder. Massage the marinade into the shoulder, cover and refrigerate preferably overnight, or for at least 4 hours. You can skip marinating but the flavour is much better if you do marinate it longer.

4. 4

   The next day, remove the lamb shoulder 1 hour before baking. Preheat the oven to 350℉.

5. 5

   In a large dutch oven or a large baking dish (at least 7 cm deep), place the peeled garlic, potatoes, sliced onions, potatoes, salt, cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves and olive oil. Mix well. Place the marinated lamb shoulder on top of the vegetables and add the water on the bottom of the dish.

6. 6

   Cover the lamb well with parchment paper (it's okay if the paper touches the water/vegetables), then seal it with 2 layers of aluminum foil, securing all the edges tightly. Bake for 4 hours, until the lamb is tender and falls off the bone. Important: make sure you allow 5 hours for the bake time, as it may vary from 3 to 5 hours depending on your cut of lamb shoulder. Check on it a few hours in and add more water if the bottom of the tray is dry. Once tender, scoop some of the fat from the bottom of the tray and drizzle it over the lamb shoulder, then broil for 5 minutes or so until the top is browned nicely - keep an eye on it at all times.

7. 7

   Serve the lamb with a side of basmati rice (see notes) or warm fresh pita bread, or other vegetable sides or a salad.