Spiced roast leg of lamb with tzatziki
This is a brilliant way to get loads of flavour into your lamb. You need to start this recipe the day before so it can marinate overnight. Ask your butcher to prepare the lamb for you so you don’t have to bother with it yourself. Serve with salad or couscous.
Serves: 6Preparation time: 10 minutesChilling time: OvernightCooking time: 1 hour plus 15 minutes resting time
Ingredients
800g-1kg leg of lamb, bones, rolled and tied1 lemon halved1 head of garlic, split in half
For the marinade
2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped1 small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves1 bunch of fresh coriander leavesI tablespoon chilli powder2 tablespoons ground cumin2 tablespoons ground turmeric2 tablespoons sweet paprika30g sea salt100ml olive oilJuice and zest of 1 lemon1 lemon halved1 head of garlic, split in halfSalt and pepper
For the tzatziki
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthways, deseeded and diced2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed200g thick Greek yoghurt75ml extra virgin olive oil20 fresh mint leaves, roughly choppedSea salt
Method
Blitz all the marinade ingredients in a food processor until you achieve a fine paste. Season with salt and pepper. Rub the paste all over the lamb, making sure to really work it into the flesh, then place the lamb in a roasting tin and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.
When you’re ready to cook the lamb, preheat the oven to 200ºC. Season the lamb with a little more salt and pepper, then roast in the oven for 1 hour, until golden brown all over (this will result in lamb that is a little pink in the middle; if you like it more well done, cook for a further 30 minutes). Place the lemon halves and the split head of garlic in the roasting tray with the lamb, for additional flavour.
For the tzatziki, mix together all the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until needed
When the lamb is cooked, remove it from the oven and leave it to rest, covered in foil, for 15 minutes before carving, and squeeze over the roasted lemon juices. Serve with a generous dollop of tzatziki.
Chicory salad
1 X chicory Handful of watercressHandful of lambs lettuce1/2 a lemon 2 tbsp olive oil