Chopped Turkish or ‘spoon’ salads as they are sometimes known, make an easy and delicious topping for barbecued meat, chicken and fish.
Serves: 6–8
INGREDIENTS
1½ kilogram boned and butterflied shoulder of lamb
Marinade
¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon each ground cumin and fennel
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
finely grated zest and juice 1 orange
freshly ground pepper
Turkish salad
2 large vine tomatoes
1 cup diced telegraph cucumber
1 cup diced fennel or celery
¼ cup chopped green olives
2 spring onions, finely chopped
seeds from 1 fresh pomegranate or 1/3 cup dried cranberries
small handful basil, finely chopped
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
METHOD
Marinade: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and season with pepper. Place the lamb in a large shallow dish and rub the marinade well onto both sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours but if time permits up to 24 hours. Remove from the fridge 1 hour before cooking.
Turkish salad: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
To cook: Preheat a grill plate. Season the lamb generously with sea salt and grill over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes each side or until done to your liking. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the meat. Transfer to a large plate, cover loosely and rest for 10 minutes.
To serve: Slice the lamb thinly and arrange on a serving platter. Pour over any meat resting juices and top with some of the salad, serving the remaining salad separately.
Pantry note: Sweet smoked paprika is available from gourmet food stores and good supermarkets.

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