Greek and Levantine · Levant
Shawarma
Shawarma (from the Turkish çevirme — to turn) is meat stacked on a vertical spit, rotated continuously against a heat source, and shaved in thin layers as the exterior caramelises. Chicken or lamb shawarma are the primary versions. The shaved meat is wrapped in flatbread with tahini or toum (garlic sauce), pickles, tomato, and onion. The vertical spit technique and the spice marinade are the defining elements.
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I
The Market List
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600g
lamb shoulder
sliced 8mm thick
Your own market
60ml
olive oil
Your own market
30ml
pomegranate molasses
Origin · LebanonNot yet stocked in British Columbia
15ml
fresh lemon juice
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
6 cloves
garlic
minced
Your own market
10g
Aleppo pepper
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
5g
ground cumin
Your own market
3g
ground coriander
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
3g
sumac
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
4
whole cloves
Your own market
1
cinnamon stick (3cm)
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
3g
sea salt
Your own market
1g
black pepper
Your own market
8
pita breads
Your own market
II
The Method
1
Toast cloves and cinnamon stick in dry pan over medium heat for 90 seconds until fragrant, grind to powder using mortar and pestle.
2
Whisk together olive oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, minced garlic, Aleppo pepper, cumin, coriander, sumac, toasted spice powder, and sea salt in bowl.
3
Coat lamb slices evenly with marinade, refrigerate for minimum 4 hours, preferably overnight.
4
Thread marinated lamb slices onto metal skewers, compressing gently to form kebab.
5
Heat cast iron skillet or grill pan to smoking point; sear shawarma skewers for 4–5 minutes per side, rotating occasionally, until deeply caramelized and cooked through.
6
Warm pita breads over flame or dry pan, slice shawarma from skewers, and serve immediately in pita with hummus, pickled vegetables, and fresh herbs.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where shawarma lives or dies is the caramelisation cycle — when the exterior layer has developed deep caramelisation (dark, sticky, charred at the edges), shave it off and immediately return the exposed meat to the heat source. The fresh layer begins its own caramelisation instantly. This cycling of caramelise-and-shave produces the complex, multi-layered flavour of real shawarma. In the home oven, this means checking the meat every 10 minutes under the grill and shaving the caramelised exterior at each check.
Pillars V — VII
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