This is a dish where deep, spiced lamb meets something a little unexpected: Sweet Cicely. It’s a soft, aniseed-scented herb that grows wild in the UK, and it brings a natural sweetness that works surprisingly well with the warming flavours of Moroccan spices.
Instead of adding sugar or dried fruit, Sweet Cicely does the job in a more subtle, herbal way—balancing out the richness of the lamb and giving the dish a fresh lift. It’s not traditional, but it works.
Will make 6 well stuffed pittas to serve 6 people or 4 really hungry people
Ingredients For the Marinade:
- 400g lamb chops
- 50g salted butter – melted
- 2 tsp ground cumin, coriander and paprika
- 12 Wild Garlic stalks – finely chopped (or 3 garlic cloves)
- 1 tbsp Mugwort leaves – finely chopped (or thyme)
Click here for our Mugwort ID guide.
Click here for our Wild Garlic ID guide.
Method:
- Melt the butter and mix all the ingredients marinade the lamb in this for at least 1hr – overnight would be best
Ingredients:
- Marinated lamb
- 20g fresh Sweet Cicely seeds (or fennel seeds)
- 1 grated carrot
- 1 small red onion – chopped roughly
- Dandelion leaves – 3 per pitta (or gem lettuce leaf)
- 6 pittas
- Top leaves of 3 Water Mint (or any other mint)
- Mayonnaise 200g
Click here for our Sweet Cicely ID guide.
Click here for our Dandelion ID guide.
Click here for our Water Mint ID guide
Method:
- BBQ or grill the marinated lamb for 7 minutes on each side
- Whilst this is cooking make your coleslaw; mix your carrot, onion, sweet cicely seeds and one table spoon of mayonnaise together in a bowl
- For you mint mayo; Finely chop the water mint and add it to the remaining mayonnaise
- When your lamb is cooked remove it from the heat and chop in to small cubes (about 2cm squared) cover with tin foil and leave to rest whilst you prepare your pittas
- Whilst the lamb is resting quickly toast the pittas for 30 seconds on each side, cut them open and stick in your lamb, coleslaw and dandelion leaves
- Finish off with a couple of good dollops of your mint mayonnaise and enjoy
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