Formaggio Kitchen Shares Baharat Marinade Recipe for Grilled Leg of Lamb

The Cambridge, MA specialty food shop introduces a Turkish spice blend to elevate a classic grilled lamb dish.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 10:15am

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Ihsan Gurdal, the owner of Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, Massachusetts, shared his recipe for grilling leg of lamb using a baharat spice blend - a Turkish seasoning mix that includes cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and dried mint. The recipe, from food writer Jessica Battilana's cookbook 'Repertoire', calls for marinating the lamb overnight or up to two days before grilling to allow the flavors to develop.

Why it matters

Baharat is a traditional Turkish spice blend that is not as well-known in the United States, so this recipe helps introduce American home cooks to a new flavor profile for grilled lamb. Formaggio Kitchen, a specialty food shop, is credited with popularizing baharat and other international ingredients to a wider audience.

The details

The baharat spice blend contains dried mint, oregano, black pepper, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. The lamb is butterflied to ensure even cooking, then coated in the spice mix and olive oil before being grilled over medium-high heat until it reaches 135°F internally. The recipe also suggests serving the grilled lamb with harissa sauce and a cucumber-yogurt salad.

  • The lamb needs to marinate overnight or for up to two days before grilling.
  • The grilled lamb should be cooked until it reaches an internal temperature of 135°F.

The players

Ihsan Gurdal

The owner of Formaggio Kitchen, a specialty food shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who introduced the author to baharat, a Turkish spice blend.

Jessica Battilana

A food writer and staff editor at King Arthur Baking Company, who contributed the grilled leg of lamb recipe with baharat marinade to her cookbook 'Repertoire'.

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What they’re saying

“Ihsan Gurdal, the owner of Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, Massachusetts (a specialty food shop and the first place I worked after college), grew up in Turkey. He introduced me, and probably many other American cooks, to baharat, a Turkish spice blend that's typically used as a seasoning for lamb.”

— Jessica Battilana, Food Writer

The takeaway

This recipe helps introduce American home cooks to the flavorful Turkish spice blend baharat, which can be used to elevate a classic grilled leg of lamb dish. The marinade developed at Formaggio Kitchen, a respected specialty food shop, demonstrates how international ingredients can be incorporated into familiar recipes.