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broil for 10 minutes, until really charred and blistered. Put the peppers into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and steam for about 10 minutes to loosen the skins; then peel. Toast the cumin, coriander, and caraway seeds in a dry skillet over low heat until fragrant, shaking the pan so they don’t scorch. In a clean coffee grinder or spice mill, grind the spices to a powder and then put them in a food processor with the roasted peppers, garlic, chiles, salt, and oil. Pulse until the sauce is well blended and smooth, adding a little more oil to thin it out, if necessary. Set the harissa aside while preparing the caponata.

Pour the oil into a large, deep skillet set over medium heat. Add the anchovies and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir for a few minutes to create a base flavor. Fry the eggplant until it absorbs the oil and browns, stirring often. Add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic, and continue to cook until the vegetables break down and soften, about 15 minutes. Toss in the capers, raisins, pine nuts, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and basil; season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and slowly simmer until thick, about 20 minutes. Add the figs in the last 5 minutes of cooking to soften them slightly. The caponata tastes superb hot, cold, or at room temperature.

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill and get it very hot. Lay the lamb out on a flat surface and open it like a book. Mix together the yogurt, garlic, mint, and cilantro and spread an even, thin layer over the meat. Roll it up and tie it with butcher’s twine like you would a roast. If you have time, let the lamb sit for 1 hour. Drizzle the roast with oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Cut the roast in half crosswise so it’s easier to handle and cooks quicker. Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a thick square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel; then carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill. Put the lamb roasts on the outer part of the grill so the outside doesn’t burn before the inside is cooked. Grill until the meat is nicely browned on all sides, about 1 hour. The lamb is medium-rare when the internal temperature reads 130°F.; it will still be pink inside. Allow the roasts to stand for 10 minutes to let the juices settle before cutting off the twine and slicing.

Oven Variation

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set the lamb roasts fat side up in a roasting pan and put them in the oven. After 1 hour, start testing for doneness. Proceed as above.

Note: In the great Middle Eastern restaurants in my neighborhood, they serve something similar to this wrapped in naan, an Indian bread. Fill a naan bread or pita with a large spoon of the caponata and a few slices of lamb and a little of the harissa, then roll it together. Green onions, mint, and yogurt make great garnishes.

New York Strip Steaks

with Grilled Fennel Salad

and Paprika Butter

1 hour

Infused butters are fun to put together because you can customize different flavors to give grilled meats a whole new dimension. This dish has strong roots in the Spanish Mediterranean countryside, and it’s one of the hits of this chapter.

Serves 4

Paprika Butter

4 roasted garlic cloves

3 anchovy fillets

1½ tablespoons sweet paprika

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Grilled Fennel Salad

4 small fennel bulbs, tops removed, sliced into ½-inch rings

4 black plums, halved and pitted

Extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup pitted green Spanish olives

¼ bunch fresh basil

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Juice of ½ lemon

Steaks

4 New York strip steaks,10 ounces each

Extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a food processor, combine the roasted garlic with the anchovies and pulse them a couple of times to make a paste. Add the paprika and butter; puree until the ingredients are well blended and the butter is red. Set it aside at room temperature.

Put the fennel rings and plums on a sheet pan and drizzle with a 3-count of oil; season with salt