Josh Katz – chef-owner of the Berber & Q restaurant group and author of the cookbook by the same name – specialises in simple ingredients with big flavour cooked over fire. He’s been kind enough to share recipes from the book, adapted for cooking on the EGG. Thanks to the EGGspander, all the elements can come together to create an impressive Middle Eastern Feast.

The star of this show is the Barbecued Leg of Lamb, marinated in herbs, lemon zest and cardamom. This is dressed with a vibrant, vividly colourful Green Chermoula and served with Mejaderah – a regional staple with a thousand variations (and spellings), featuring lentils, rice, onions and spices – Charred Aubergine, Cauliflower with Shawarma-Spiced Butter, a tahini sauce and some garlic-infused yoghurt.

This recipe is designed for Large and XL owners who have an EGGspander System (a helpful accessory that allows you to cook or reheat several dishes at once, as well as cooking directly and indirectly simultaneously).

If you own a different-sized EGG or are not in possession of an EGGspander, you can of course cook all the elements one at a time. If easier, you can find the individual recipes on our main recipe page or by clicking the links above.

Although it’s possible to cook every element on the EGG, especially if you have more than one at home, the method below also includes some kitchen cooking to save you time and stress. Don’t worry though: all the key elements that benefit from a hint of smoke are cooked on the EGG.

MARINATE THE LAMB

For ease, we recommend doing these first few stages in your kitchen.

Grate the garlic and lemon zest into a mixing bowl and add the herbs, olive oil, ground cardamom seeds and the white part of the sliced spring onion. Pour the marinade all over the lamb and work it deep into the flesh using your hands. Season generously with salt and black pepper.

Set aside, covered and refrigerated, for a minimum of 1 hour, but preferably 4-6 hours or even overnight.

PREPARE YOUR CAULIFLOWER

Trim the outer cauliflower leaves, but don’t be afraid to leave some on – they have great taste and add to the aesthetic of the dish when cooked on the EGG.

In your kitchen, place the cauliflower in enough salted water to cover and bring to the boil on a high heat. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium and continue to cook at a gentle roll for 8-10 minutes. The intention is to par-cook the cauliflower before finishing it on the EGG. When you remove it from the water, it should retain some resistance when pierced firmly with a knife.

PREPARE YOUR SAUCES

While the cauliflower is cooking, prepare the tahini. Whisk all the ingredients in a large bowl and gradually add ice-cold water. At first the tahini will form a lumpy paste, but keep adding water and whisking until it gradually turns into a smooth, silky sauce of your preferred consistency. Set aside for later.

Make the shawarma-spiced butter by combining the softened butter, minced garlic, lemon juice and shawarma spice mix in a blender. Fold in the chopped coriander. Set aside.

For the chermoula, combine the sliced spring onion greens in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, except the lemon juice and seasoning, and set aside until required. You can make this mix in advance and keep refrigerated until required.

For the garlic yoghurt, combine the yoghurt, garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil and season to taste. Set aside.

PREPARE THE MEJADERAH

For the mejaderah, heat the olive oil in a shallow frying or sauté pan over medium heat and caramelise the onions until golden and sweetened. The longer the better. Season with salt and black pepper.

Dry-toast the cumin and coriander seeds, star anise and cinnamon quills for a couple of minutes in a saucepan over medium-high heat, until fragrant and just starting to smoke. Add the butter, sweet onions, basmati rice, lentils, turmeric, allspice, bay leaves and a sprinkle of salt. Fry for a further minute or two, stirring to incorporate everything.

Add 1 litre water to the rice and stir. Seal the pan as tightly as possible with cling film. Try to avoid leaving any openings to prevent any steam from escaping.

Reduce the heat to low and cook the rice for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, allowing the cling film to be sucked in by the vacuum created. Set aside until required.

SET UP YOUR EGG

Take the lamb leg out of the fridge an hour or so before you intend to cook it so that it can get to room temperature.

Load and light your EGG. Bring it to 220°C and add the EGGspander with Half Moon Baking Stone on the bottom right side, Stainless Steel Grid on the top right side, Cast Iron Searing Grid on the top left side and the Multi Level Rack on top.

COOK THE CAULIFLOWER

Brush the cauliflower liberally all over with the shawarma butter. Try to get beneath the floret canopy to reach the inner sections. Retain some of the butter for brushing at a later stage.

Place the cauliflower in a pan inside the EGG on the Stainless Steel Grid on the right hand side (above the Baking Stone) to roast for 5–7 minutes, until blackened all over (you want it to lightly char, not form an acrid burnt crust). Throughout the cooking process, continue to brush with any leftover butter.

Meanwhile, place the mejaderah on the Multi-Level Rack to warm through.

Grill the lamb for roughly 10 minutes on both sides on the Cast Iron Searing Grid, turning regularly, until the internal temperature reaches 55°C for medium rare, or taken higher as per personal preference:

Medium-rare: 55°C Medium: 60°C Well done (if you must): 70°C

Remember that the meat will continue to cook once removed from the heat source, so pull it off just before it reaches the optimum temperature.

While the lamb is cooking, brush the aubergine slices on both sides liberally with olive oil and season generously with salt and black pepper. Char alongside the lamb on the Cast Iron Searing Grid for 4-5 minutes on each side until well scored and completely soft. Place alongside the mejarderah on the Multi-Level Rack to stay warm.

Transfer the lamb to a chopping board, cover with tin foil, and rest for 10 minutes while you dress your cauliflower.

GARNISH THE CAULIFLOWER

Remove the cauliflower from the heat and transfer to a plate. Spoon over the tahini sauce and pomegranate molasses, and finish the dish by sprinkling the rose petals, pine nuts and chopped parsley over the top. An optional drizzle of olive oil adds a nice glossy finish.

Middle Eastern Feast on the EGGspander | EGGspander System Recipes | Big Green Egg

TO SERVE

Fold the lemon juice through the chermoula. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

Thinly slice the lamb across the grain and transfer to a serving platter. Flake some salt and black pepper over the meat and drizzle the green chermoula over the entire serving platter.

Serve the lamb alongside the aubergine, mejaderah and cauliflower, accompanied by the garlic yoghurt. A fresh, sharp salad and flatbreads would be a welcome addition to balance the richness of the meat and rice.