Moroccan Spiced Roasted Lamb Leg with Plums
Ingredients
Lamb
- 1 leg of lamb approximately 2.5kg bone in
- 3 large onions sliced in 1cm thick discs
- 750 mL vegetable stock reduced salt
- 750 g fresh plums halved and pitted
- 50 g Slivered almonds
- 50 g Currants or raisins
Spice Rub
- 50 g extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp cumin ground
- 2 tsp ginger ground
- 2 tsp garlic ground
- 2 tsp turmeric ground
- 2 tsp cinnamon ground
- 2 tsp coriander ground
- 2 tsp paprika ground
- 100 g honey or date syrup
- ½ preserved lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cous Cous
- ½ bunch fresh coriander leaves only
- ½ bunch fresh parsley leaves only
- 50 g slivered almonds
- 1 bunch watercress remove woody stalks
- 100 g yoghurt
- 250 g dried couscous 1 pomegranate arils only
- 1 lge lemon finely grated zest and juice
- 50 g Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ bunch parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat fan-forced oven to 150° Celsius. For the spice rub, blitz all ingredients in a food processor until thoroughly combined. Place onions in the centre of the roasting tray, place the lamb on top of the onions, and thoroughly coat the leg with the spice rub, so that the presentation side is face down. Carefully pour the stock all around the lamb leg, so as not to remove the rub.
- Roast the leg at 150° Celsius for 2 hours covered with aluminium foil, then an additional two hours uncovered. After four hours, remove the tray and increase the heat to 250° Celsius, place the plums, almonds and raisins around the lamb and gently toss in the pan juices.
- Return to the oven for 15-20 minutes to form a heavily caramelised crust, before removing from the oven and allowing 10 minutes to rest the lamb, before pulling or slicing and serving.
- In a large heavy based pot, prepare the couscous according to packet instructions, once cooked and while still warm, stir through remaining ingredients. Serve with fresh parsley if desired.
- To serve in the oven tray, dollop small portions of yoghurt around the lamb on top of the plums, onions. Scatter the watercress, herbs and additional almonds. Slice and serve at the table.
Notes
Gluten free, if replacing couscous with quinoa. Grain free, if replacing couscous with quinoa. Refined sugar free, can replace honey with erythritol. Dairy free optional, if replacing yoghurt with coconut yoghurt.
Start cooking with your presentation side down, so second half and final cook you have the lamb the ‘best’ side upwards for serving.
If you have time and inclination, you can marinade your lamb overnight ahead of cooking.
If you are stuck for time, you could put the lamb in a pressure cooker with an additional litre of water for 60 minutes, followed by the 15 minutes at 250° Celsius, just to develop the crust.
Start cooking with your presentation side down, so second half and final cook you have the lamb the ‘best’ side upwards for serving.
If you have time and inclination, you can marinade your lamb overnight ahead of cooking.
If you are stuck for time, you could put the lamb in a pressure cooker with an additional litre of water for 60 minutes, followed by the 15 minutes at 250° Celsius, just to develop the crust.