Spiced Roast Lamb Recipes

SPICED ROAST LAMB

Steps:

• Stir together the marinade ingredients and season with ½ tsp ground black pepper and 1½ tsp flaky salt. Slash the lamb several times on both sides, then massage the marinade all over it. Seal into a large food bag or non-metallic container and chill overnight (or at least for a few hrs). Let the lamb sit at room temperature for 1 hr before roasting.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the lamb into a foil-lined roasting tin and roast for 20 mins. Turn the oven down to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and roast for 1 hr 20 mins for meat that's pink near the bone. Cover loosely with foil halfway through cooking or once the marinade has charred and the meat looks golden.
• Leave the lamb to rest for 20 mins before carving, then serve with lentil & tomato and cucumber salads (see related recipes).

SPICY LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• The objective: A nice, pink, juicy leg of lamb has a final temperature of about 120 degrees F. Use a shallow roasting pan or baking sheet with a fitted rack. Elevating the lamb slightly off the bottom of the roasting pan allows the hot air to better circulate around the meat as it cooks.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Toast the spices: In a medium bowl, combine the cayenne, fennel seeds, dry mustard, paprika, red pepper flakes and cinnamon. Mix the spices and pour them out onto a baking sheet. Place the tray inside the oven for 1 minute to warm the spices and allow them to toast slightly. This will awaken their flavors. Remove the tray from the oven.
• Make the paste to coat the leg of lamb: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, molasses and salt. Add the toasted spices and mix together to create a paste. Coat all sides of the leg in the seasoning paste. If you have time, allow the lamb to sit out for about an hour and come closer to room temperature. Alternatively, you can marinate the lamb like this for several hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator before cooking.
• Cook the lamb: Place the lamb leg in the center of the fitted rack on the roasting pan and place it in the center of the oven. Cook, undisturbed, for 30 minutes. Use an instant-read meat thermometer and take the temperature of the thickest part of the leg meat. Your meat thermometer should read about 85 degrees F. Cook for an additional 30 minutes. Ideally, the thickest part of the leg should come to about 118 degrees F. Remove the lamb from the roasting pan to a flat surface to rest.
• Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar and mustard. Place the fresh chiles on a flat surface and, with a small knife, cut them both into thin rounds, ribs, seeds and all.
• Pour off some of the drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan. Put the pan on top of a burner on your stove. Start a low heat under the pan and when the drippings begin to sizzle, add in the mustard, vinegar and fresh chiles. Taste for seasoning. Pour over the leg of lamb.
• Carve the meat: Begin carving at the loin end of the leg; you want to carve at a right-angle relative to the grain of the meat. Observe that this meat has lines almost like a piece of wood, aim the blade of your knife at a right-angle to the grain and slice thin pieces. Arrange the slices on a platter with the sauce.

SPICED LAMB PILAF

Steps:

• Put the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion to the pan and cook until soft and translucent, about 15 mins. Add the garlic and spices, and stir in for 2 mins.
• Crumble the stock cubes into 1.2 litres of just-boiled water. Add the rice and shredded lamb to the pan. Stir well to coat the grains in the oil and spices, then pour over the stock. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and lower the heat. Cook for 12 mins or until the rice is tender and the stock absorbed.
• Once the rice is ready, remove from the heat and add the raisins, spring onions, tomatoes and herbs, mixing well. Season to taste and serve topped with more herbs, almonds and a drizzle of natural yogurt.

SLOW-ROAST SPICED LAMB SHOULDER WITH SUMAC ONIONS

Steps:

• Season lamb very generously with salt and pepper; place on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.
• Toast peppercorns and coriander seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant, about 3 minutes; let cool. Finely grind in spice mill or with mortar and pestle; transfer to a small bowl. Mix in paprika, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg, then rub all over lamb. Chill uncovered at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
• Let lamb sit out on counter at room temperature 1 hour before roasting.
• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 275°F. Transfer lamb to a roasting pan and pour in 3 cups water. Cover tightly with foil and cook, turning lamb over and rotating pan halfway through, until meat is almost falling off the bone, 3-3 1/2 hours. Remove lamb from oven and turn up heat to broil (or to highest heat if you have a drawer-style broiler). Discard foil, transfer lamb to a cutting board, and pour off liquid in pan. Return lamb to pan; roast, uncovered, until nicely browned, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss onion, lemon juice, and sumac in a small bowl with your hands, squeezing onion a bit to soften.
• Just before serving, toss mint, parsley, and a pinch of salt into onion mixture. Serve lamb topped with onion salad.

SPICED ROAST LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Combine the garlic, cumin, annatto (or turmeric), paprika, and oregano in a bowl; stir in half the olive oil to form a paste.
• Rub the paste all over the lamb, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place lamb in a roasting pan and surround with the peppers and black eyed peas.
• Pour in the wine, drizzle with remaining oil, and season with salt.
• Place in oven for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on desired doneness.
• Let lamb rest for 15 minutes before serving.
• Serve with cooked rice or polenta.

SPICED HARISSA LAMB PASTIES

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-low heat and cook the onion and leek, stirring for 10-15 mins until softened. Push the veg to one side of the pan, turn up the heat to medium, and add the lamb mince. Fry for 10-15 mins, breaking up the mince with a spoon, until all the liquid has evaporated and the lamb is browned in places. Cut the preserved lemon into wedges, then remove the pith and finely chop the peel.
• Add the lemon peel, garlic, sweet potato, cumin, harissa and tomato purée to the pan, season and sizzle for 1-2 mins. Stir in 200ml water and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Put on a lid so it's partially covered, then cook for 10 mins until the sweet potatoes are starting to soften but still holding their shape, and the mixture is fairly dry. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. Once cool, will keep chilled for up to two days or frozen for two months.
• For the pastry, put the butter, lard, flour and 2 tsp salt in a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in 6 tbsp cold water and pulse until the dough starts to clump together, adding another 1-2 tbsp water if the dough looks very dry. Tip the dough out onto a work surface and knead briefly to bring it together. Alternatively, tip the ingredients into a bowl and rub together using your fingertips before mixing in the water. Shape the dough into a disc, then wrap and chill for 30 mins.
• Cut the dough in half so it's easier to work with, then roll out one half on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use a 10-12cm cutter to stamp out circles of pastry - you should get about 20 once you've re-rolled trimmings and the second half of dough.
• Working with one pastry circle at a time, brush a little beaten egg around the edge of the pastry and spoon 1 heaped tbsp of the lamb mixture into the centre. Fold the pastry over and crimp the edges together to seal, or press with the tines of a fork - don't worry if the pastry cracks a little, as you can just pinch it back together. Arrange the pasties on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Once all the pasties are assembled, brush with more beaten egg and sprinkle with the nigella seeds. Chill for at least 30 mins. Can now be frozen for up to two months, as long as the mince mixture was not previously frozen.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and bake for 35 mins from chilled or 45 mins from frozen until the pastry is golden. Leave to cool for 10 mins before serving warm.

BBQ OR ROASTED SPICED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Place the Lamb fat side down on a plate or Pyrex dish.
• Mix garlic with the oil.
• Salt & pepper.
• Work the mixture into the folds covering the lamb surface completely.
• Grind the three herbs together and spread over underside of the lamb. Rub it into the lamb well.
• To BBQ: Place meat skin side down on an oiled grill. Close the cover and cook over medium high heat for approx 45 minutes. Watch for flame ups, but do not flip the roast.
• To Roast: Pour the wine and water into the roasting pan and bake in 375°F oven for 1 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (oven roast potatoes for the last 40 minutes with the roast).
• Let stand 5 minutes before carving.
• Check internal temperature: 160°F is medium rare - just pink.

ROAST LAMB WITH SPICED RED CABBAGE

Steps:

• For Cabbage:
• Mix first 8 ingredients in heavy large Dutch oven. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, stirring occasionally, abut 35 minutes. Add vinegar. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill.)
• For Lamb:
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large Dutch oven over high heat. Add bones and brown well, about 8 minutes. Add all broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 6 minutes. Strain into small saucepan. Set sauce aside.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Add to skillet; brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer lamb to baking sheet. Roast lamb to desired doneness, about 8 minutes for medium-rare. Place Lamb on work surface. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rewarm cabbage, stirring often. Bring sauce to simmer. Remove sauce from heat; add butter and whisk just until melted. Mix in basil.
• Arrange cabbage on plates. Cut lamb between bones and arrange atop cabbage. Spoon sauce over lamb and serve.