While turkey may be the traditional go-to, many Kiwis prefer the flavours of good-quality New Zealand lamb. Taking the humble roast up a notch or two is this delicious recipe from wonderfully down-to-earth Auckland cook Kelly Gibney, who shares this and many other recipes in her new book ENJOY.
Serves 6 Gluten-free | Nut-free
I love a New Zealand lamb leg as an option for feeding a crowd. It can often be bought on special and yields a large amount of meat. This is the way I’ve made it for years. Slow roasting means there’s no carving, just gorgeously tender meat that pulls away easily from the bone. Leftover lamb can go into pasta dishes or be added to soups, like my Everything Soup.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, cut into thick rings
- 1 bone-in lamb leg
- 1 cup beef stock
Herb sauce
- Large handful fresh mint
- Large handful fresh parsley
- 1 small garlic clove, finely diced
- ½ cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- To garnish: pomegranate seeds (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 C°.
Combine the sugar, cumin, garam masala, lemon zest, garlic, and olive oil in a bowl and stir well. Rub all over the lamb leg.
Lay the onion slices in the bottom of your roasting dish. Place the lamb leg on top. Cook for 25 minutes uncovered. Reduce the temperature to 150 C, pour the beef stock around the lamb (not on top) and cover tightly with foil. Cook for 3 hours. Remove the foil and cook for a final 30 minutes uncovered.
Pour off the liquid from the bottom of the pan into a saucepan. Simmer for 15 minutes until reduced by half. Cover the lamb with foil while you prepare the jus.
Blend together all the herb sauce ingredients until smooth. Season generously. To serve, place the lamb on a platter and pour over the jus. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and some of the herb sauce. Serve the rest of the herb sauce on the side.
Recipe from ENJOY by Kelly Gibney, beatnikpublishing.com, RRP $59.99
