Slow-roast lamb is one of my go-to entertaining recipes, and this one, with its fresh and spicy relish, is especially popular!
Serves: 6-8
INGREDIENTS
SPICE PASTE
5 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon each ground coriander and cumin
1 teaspoon each ground cardamom, allspice and sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
¼ cup olive oil
1.5-kilogram boneless lamb shoulder
TO COOK
2 large brown onions, peeled and thickly sliced
1½ teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
GREEN CHILLI RELISH
1 cup each parsley, mint and coriander leaves
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
finely grated zest 1 lemon
3-4 green chillies, roughly chopped (not de-seeded)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 150°C regular bake.
SPICE PASTE: Blitz all the ingredients except the lamb in a food processor to a smooth paste.
Spread the spice paste all over the flesh of the lamb, avoiding the fat on top and pushing it into all the nooks and crannies. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for 6 hours, or up to overnight.
TO COOK: Scatter the onions over the base of a deep roasting tray that will hold the lamb snugly. Pour in 2 cups of water, then place the lamb on top, skin side up. Sprinkle with sea salt. Cover tightly with foil to seal, then bake for 4 hours.
Increase the heat to 180°C regular bake.
Uncover the lamb, sprinkle with the cumin seeds and bake for a further 45 minutes, until meltingly tender.
GREEN CHILLI RELSH: Blitz all the ingredients in a small food processor.
TO SERVE: Carefully transfer the lamb to a serving plate and spoon over some of the cooking juices. Serve with the Green Chilli Relish.
DRINKS MATCHES:
Hoist the herbaceousness of the green chilli relish and the richness of the lamb to new heights with a glass of the wild and woolly Matahiwi Wild Holly Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2021 ($35). It's had three weeks on skins to extract colour and texture, then been aged for 14 months in French oak to inject some smoke. Stylish. matahiwi.co.nz
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latest issue:
127
In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.