Name: Spiced roast lamb
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Ingredients: 2.5 kg leg or shoulder of lamb; 1 red chilli; 3 cloves of garlic; 4 sprigs of rosemary; 2 tsp fennel seeds; 1 Tbsp olive oil; 250 ml white wine; Water

Spiced roast lamb

28 Feb 2016

by Dinna

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

90 minutes

Total Time

1 hour, 40 minutes

Background

One of the most popular roasts is the lamb leg or shoulder, particularly at Easter time. The traditional version is cooked with a rosemary-garlic combo, sometimes supplemented with anchovies. If you like your food to have a bit more kick to it or just want something different, try out this recipe! This spiced roast lamb is very easy to make - actually, the oven does most of the work!

Ingredients

2.5 kg leg or shoulder of lamb
1 red chilli
3 cloves of garlic
4 sprigs of rosemary
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 Tbsp olive oil
250 ml white wine
Water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Deseed the chilli, remove its vein and chop finely. Peel the garlic and chop up finely. Chop the rosemary leaves.
Using a pestle & mortar crush the garlic, chilli, two-thirds of the rosemary and fennel seeds together until you get a paste. Season to taste with coarse salt and ground pepper. Crush again.
Use a sharp knife to make small incisions all over the meat. Rub with the oil and some salt then the paste, massaging it into the slots with your fingers.
Sprinkle with the remaining rosemary and place the lamb on a rack over a baking tray.
Cook for 20 minutes in the oven then lower the temperature to 190°C. Pour the wine into the baking tray with some added water (underneath the lamb). Roast for about 90 minutes depending on how well cooked you like your lamb. During cooking regularly baste the meat with the sauce and add more water if needed!
When the lamb is cooked to your liking, remove it from the oven, cover and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.