Dreaming of Summer in what is supposed to be Spring. This cold snap we’ve been experiencing in the U.K has really got to me. When it’s Christmas i love it to be cold, freezing in fact, so that you’re forced to spend hours in front of fires, roasted joints and hearty comfort food. After a solid few months of grey sky and the teasing of a few sunny albeit cold days, this week i was really longing for some warmth.
I don’t plan my recipes too much, but this was one of those occasions where i had been thinking about these combination of ingredients and sides for a while and the Easter Bank Holiday was the perfect time to test.
The small fire from the Harissa and the gentle bursts of Citrus from this lamb makes it a perfect summer dish and would also be fantastic cooked on the BBQ. The lamb just melts away from the bone, which you can either leave in chunks or shred to put inside wraps or burger buns.
Unfortunately it wasn’t summer, so i slow roasted it in the oven for six hours and served it with Spinach and some Buttery Lemon and Broccoli rice and spiced Pepper yoghurt- using the blackened bits and peppers from the lamb; a great way to get in some veggies.
I used a gluten free Newburn Bakehouse wrap here but this lamb could also be enjoyed with veggie fueled quinoa, lemony mash or some sweet potato jackets or fries. 🙂
- The Lamb
- 1 600g Half Shoulder Joint of Lamb on the bone
- 1-2 Red Peppers cut into big squares
- 1 Lime
- 1-2 Lemons
- 3 Tablespoons of Harissa Paste
- 2 Tablespoons of Tomato Puree
- 5 Tablespoons of Plain Yoghurt
- 1 Tablespoon of Honey
- Salt and Pepper
- Drizzle of Olive Oil
- 50ml of White Wine
- The Spiced Pepper Yoghurt
- Blackened bits and the Peppers from the Lamb roast
- Half a lemon
- 300 ml of Yoghurt
- 1 Chilli or chilli seeds diced finely (Optional)
- The Broccoli Rice
- 1 Broccoli
- 1 Lemon
- 30 grams of Butter
- Drizzle of Oil
- Cup of Rice
- Fennel seeds (Optional)
- The Lamb
- Prepare the Lamb the night before or marinade for at least 4 hours in the fridge.
- Pop all the lamb marinade ingredients into a bowl and give it a good mix and taste, if you can’t taste enough citrus , add another lemon. Leave in the fridge overnight.
- Before you are ready to cook your lamb make sure you take it out the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to it’s highest temperature.
- Place the marinated peppers first, onto a large roasting dish covered with several layers of foil and a bit of oil. Place the lamb onto keeping the peppers tucked nicely underneath. Pour over the 50ml of white wine.
- Pop the roasting dish into the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes on the high heat, then turn the oven down to 110 degrees C and cook for five to six hours. Every hour give the lamb a baste with it’s own juices, adding a tiny bit of water as you go along.
- After 5 or 6 hours, get your lamb out and cover it with foil to rest for at least 25 minutes.
- Either cut into chunks or shred like aromatic duck. Use the blackened bits for the Spiced Yoghurt if making...
- The Spiced Yoghurt
- Mix all of these ingredients together and just season to taste.
- The Broccoli Rice
- Cut up your broccoli and place into a saucepan filled with cold water ready to boil.
- Melt the butter and oil in a saucepan over a gentle heat.
- Add the rice and fennel seeds if using, to the saucepan and stir until fragrant.
- Add the juice and the whole lemon to the pan and add 2 cups of water.
- Cover the rice saucepan on a medium heat cook for 20 minutes until cooked. Cook the broccoli at the same time.
- Drain the broccoli and season with salt and pepper, pop it into the rice saucepan and give everything a good mash.
