As fall sets in and weather takes a turn, I am compelled to heat up my cuisine and nothing warms my body like Middle Eastern flavors, offering a bit of spice and delightful aromas. This week I embarked on making a slow-braised shawarma with shaved lamb (Local Sonoma County Lamb OF COURSE!) I had originally decided to slow braise the lamb in a slow cooker, but after marinating the meat for 3 days, I simply stewed it on the stove top over low heat for a few hours. My marinade was a base of traditional Middle Eastern spices (cumin, cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg and a little curry), full-fat plain yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, minced onion and a little hot sauce. The fats, live cultures and lactic acid in yogurt provide tenderizing enzymes that break down the meat beautifully and the tangy flavor of the yogurt really carries through as the meat finishes cooking. I made a simple tzatziki (lemon juice, yogurt and finely diced cucumber) to serve the shawarma with in addition to pita bread, heirloom tomatoes, onion and both goat cheese and feta. We paired our shawarma with a lovely Pinot Gris from Etude, which really complimented the spice. In addition to having the shawarma for dinner, I made a shawarma hash in the morning and served poached eggs along with the accompaniments from the night before, which was divine! I think I loved it even more than the night before because the flavors were really able to marry in a more pronounced way.
Sonoma County is the perfect place to find all the ingredients needed for this dish from local heirloom tomatoes, onions and cucumbers to the locally raised lamb, which is readily available at most locally owned markets.
If you like Middle Eastern Flavors and are not ready to tackle a new dish, try Real Doner in Petaluma or if you live near Napa as I do, try Small World Restaurant.
Please feel free to share your thoughts on great dishes that embrace Middle Eastern Flavors or restaurants in the Bay area you are particularly fond of!
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