Slow-Roasted Leg of Lamb

Mains

Main Ingredient: Lamb
Prep Time: 2 1⁄4 hrs
Cook Time: 5 hrs
Serves: 6
Recipe by: Le Creuset

Ingredients

For the marinated lamb:
125ml olive oil
45ml lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, finely crushed
3 rosemary sprigs, leaves removed
8 mint leaves
2.4kg leg of lamb (bone in)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large heads of garlic
250g soft Turkish dried apricots
4 limes, cut in half
150g pomegranate seeds
For the homemade Hummus:
125ml tahini paste
60ml lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, finely crushed
2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained
250ml boiling water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
Paprika
For the cucumber with yoghurt:
1 small Mediterranean cucumber
250ml Greek-style yoghurt
6 mint leaves, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For Serving:
425g Kalamata olives
240g sun-dried tomatoes
150g radishes

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Main Ingredient: Lamb
Prep Time: 2 1⁄4 hrs
Cook Time: 5 hrs
Serves: 6
Recipe by: Le Creuset

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This slow-cooked Turkish-style roast is a delight to share with family or dinner guests. Serve with homemade hummus, cucumber with yoghurt, olives, sundried tomatoes and fresh radishes.

INSTRUCTIONS:

To make the marinated lamb

Place olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary leaves and mint in a food processor and blitz until well blended. Place the leg of lamb in a Le Creuset Toughened Non-Stick Roaster. Marinate the meat, cover the roaster with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Remove the cling wrap from the roaster and season the meat with salt and pepper. Cover the roaster with foil and place into the oven to roast for 3 hours.
Remove from the oven and take off the foil. Cut the garlic heads to expose the cloves. Arrange the garlic around the meat and spoon some of the meat juices over. Roast open for another 2 hours until the meat is tender. Scatter apricots in the roaster and heat through. Fry the limes in a griddle pan and arrange in the roaster. Scatter pomegranate seeds over the meat and serve with hummus, cucumber with yoghurt, olives, sundried tomatoes and fresh radishes.

To make the homemade Hummus

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tahini and lemon juice. Process for 1 minute, scrape the sides and bottom down, then process for 30 seconds more. Add chickpeas and blitz, then add boiling water and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and spoon into a mixing bowl. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate. Just before serving, spoon the hummus into serving bowls with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika on top.

To make the cucumber with yoghurt

Remove the ends of the cucumber, then cut it in half lengthwise and scrape out the pips. Slice and place into a bowl. Mix yoghurt, mint and garlic in a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the yoghurt over the sliced cucumber and mix well.

Cook’s notes: Make your hummus the day before serving; the taste will be better the next day.