Last year for Christmas Day, I did um and ahhh over which meat I’d choose. In the end, lamb won. Not only is it quintessentially New Zealand (and probably my favourite meat); turkey and ham just seemed a little American to me this year. So I created this recipe just for Christmas, with a little exotic twist of spices for something a little different – roasted Moroccan lamb leg. I’ll be serving the lamb with my crispy Christmas potatoes and orange, feta and almond salad. To be honest, this is going to be perfect for any weekend roast meal – don’t just stop at Christmas!
Lamb
1 x whole lamb leg, bone in
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp whole cumin seeds, smashed up
2 tbsp coriander seeds, smashed up
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cardamom
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp powdered ginger
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp white pepper
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and minced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 cup chicken stock
Orange gremolata
Zest of 2 oranges, finely chopped
Zest of 2 lemons, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
½ cup very finely chopped parsley
½ cup finely chopped coriander
Beetroot & yoghurt sauce
2 large whole beetroot
¾ cup thick greek yoghurt (unsweetened)
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Squeeze of lemon juice to taste
Preheat the oven to 180c, or 170c fan bake.
To make the gremolata, combine all ingredients in a bowl, cover and set aside.
Place all the spices, ginger and 1 tbsp olive oil in a small bowl and mix to combine.
Take the lamb out of the fridge and place it in a large roasting dish, skin side up. Pat dry with a paper towel. Make 5 x 4cm deep incisions all over with a small sharp knife, then poke a whole garlic clove into each cut. Make another 10-15 holes with a skewer to let the marinade sink in. Coat with all the spices and oil mixture, then season with salt and a good crack of black pepper. Cover and leave to sit for 30 minutes out of the fridge.
Pour the chicken stock into the pan, then transfer the lamb to the oven; and bake for 20-25 mins per 500g for rare, 25-30 mins per 500g for medium-rare and 30-35 mins per 500g if you like it well done (I prefer lamb medium rare).
With an hour to go for the lamb cooking, wrap each of the beetroot in tinfoil, then bake in the oven for the last hour or until cooked through. Unwrap, cool slightly and peel the skin off. Chop the flesh into pieces, then add to a food processor with the garlic, yoghurt and feta and process until smooth (you can use a potato masher or a blender if you don’t have a food processor). Taste and season. Cover, then leave in the fridge until you’re ready.
Remove the lamb from the oven, cover with foil and let rest 15-20 minutes before carving. This helps the juices redistribute to the edges of the meat and results in tender, succulent lamb. You can make a gravy out of the pan juices if you like at this point.
To serve, sprinkle the lamb with the gremolata before carving. Serve with my crispy potatoes and almond, orange and feta salad – and gravy made with the pan juices if you like.
Merry Christmas!