Lamb is naturally earthy and a little grassy, and its flavor won’t get buried despite this big pile of fresh herbs and salty marinated cheese. If you are sensitive to even a whiff of gaminess, seek out domestic, grain-finished lamb, which is sweeter and milder than the 100 percent pasture-raised imports from New Zealand and Australia. And because ground lamb contains a generous percentage of fat, you can smash it into a hot skillet and let it develop a nice crust without worrying about it drying out. This recipe is from Where Cooking Begins by Carla Lalli Music.
Recipe information
Yield
6 servings
Ingredients
6
1
1
2
4
½
2
2
2
Special Ingredient
Preparation
Step 1
Place Halloumi in a small heatproof bowl. Cook fennel seeds, mustard seeds, pumpkin seeds, and 3 Tbsp. oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until oil is sizzling, pumpkin seeds are golden brown, and some of the mustard seeds start popping, about 5 minutes. Add Aleppo-style pepper and immediately scrape seasoned oil over Halloumi. Toss to combine, then add lemon zest; season with kosher salt. Let Halloumi marinate while you cook the lamb.
Step 2
Heat a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high, 3 minutes. Pour in 1 Tbsp. oil, add lamb, and use a heatproof rubber spatula or a wooden spoon to smash down, spread out, and flatten meat onto pan’s surface. You’re making a big flat lamb patty at this point. Season surface evenly with kosher salt and black pepper and cook, undisturbed, until underside is very browned and you can see fat and juices start to pool on surface, 6–8 minutes. Toss lamb, using spatula to scrape it up and break into smaller pieces. Cook just to lightly brown rare side, 1–2 minutes more.
Step 3
Transfer lamb to a platter. Spoon marinated Halloumi over, along with infused oil, pumpkin seeds, and spices. Top with herbs and drizzle with olive oil. Season with sea salt. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.
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Reviews (7)
Back to TopI discovered this recipe in one of my Bon Appétit’s cookbook. It’s definitely one of my favorites and super easy to do. I normally double up on the mustard and the fennel seeds, use mint... and instead of Halloumi I use feta (very recommended). These flavors are amazing!!
Manuela
Colombia
4/29/2021
I've made this several times and I think this recipe is excellent. I originally discovered it in Carla's cookbook but wanted to leave a review here. If you love lamb and love halloumi then this meal will make you very happy. I usually double the dried spices because I love their flavor and love biting into them. This meal takes no time at all to prepare and looks really pretty on the table.
Anonymous
Los Angeles
9/30/2019
I should've gone with my gut and used only a pound of lamb. I knew two pounds would be too much and render the dish extremely unproportional and bland, as the marinate is enough to flavor just one pound of meat. I ended up reserving half of the lamb to use with another dish and suggest anyone who makes it do the same. Two pounds is way too much unless you plan on doubling the halloumi marinade as well. Four stars with correct proportions. Two stars as the recipe is written.
Anonymous
Los Angeles, California
6/25/2019