By Pete Evans
Serves: 6
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 1.5 hours
Ingredients:
2½ kg leg of lamb
6 garlic cloves
2 large fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into quarters
1 large brown onion, peeled and sliced into 1 cm rings
8 thyme sprigs
500 ml (2 cups) beef stock or chicken stock
Middle Eastern Spice Paste
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
3 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons sea salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons dried mint
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
80 ml lemon juice
60 g duck fat, coconut oil or tallow
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Grind the coriander and cumin seeds using a mortal and pestle or spice grinder to a slightly coarse powder then transfer to a small bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients for the spice mix to form a paste. Set
aside until needed.
Make incisions over the leg of lamb to the depth of 5 mm using the tip of a sharp knife.
Scatter the garlic, fennel, brown onion and thyme in the base of a large roasting pan greased with oil. Sit the lamb in the roasting pan, and rub the spice paste evenly over the surface of the lamb. Pour 250 ml of stock into the spice paste bowl to remove any remaining paste from the edges. Pour the liquid over the lamb.
Roast the lamb for 1½ hours, basting the meat occasionally with the cooking juices from the roasting pan – if you prefer the lamb to be well done, cook for a further 15 minutes.
Transfer the roast lamb to a carving tray, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Transfer the vegetables from the roasting pan to a serving dish and cover to keep warm. Place the roasting pan over a medium heat on the stovetop. Pour in the remaining stock and bring to the boil. Using a flat wooden spoon, stir to dislodge any cooked-on bits. Reduce the stock by two-thirds until the jus reaches a nice sauce-like consistency. Season with sea salt if needed.
Carve the lamb and serve with the roasted vegetables and lamb jus.
