Lamb Recipes

RECIPES VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES BRYDIE THOMPSON

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, julienned 1 tbsp garlic powder 2 tsp ground turmeric 1 tbsp ground coriander 1 tbsp ground cumin ½ tsp paprika ½ tsp chilli powder (optional) 1 tbsp grated lemon zest or finely chopped preserved lemon 3 tbsp lemon juice ¼ cup olive oil 1 cup Greek yoghurt 3 racks of lamb, cut into chops (I used Ovation Lamb from www.greenleabutcher.co.nz) salt Mix all the ingredients, except the lamb and salt, together. Marinade the lamb in the yoghurt mixture for a few hours or overnight. Just before cooking, sprinkle the lamb with a little salt then sear on a hot griddle pan or BBQ for 2–3 minutes on each side. Allow to rest for 3–4 minutes before serving atop the carrot couscous.

1 cup couscous ½ cup boiling water ¾ cup orange juice 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tsp Dijon mustard 3 carrots, peeled and julienned* 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted ½ cup currants 1 cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped 1 cup mint, roughly chopped 1 cup Italian parsley, roughly chopped 120g packet rocket

Place the couscous, water, ½ cup of the orange juice and a pinch of salt in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for 5 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, make the dressing by placing the oil, remaining orange juice, vinegar, garlic and mustard in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Fluff the couscous with a fork and add the carrot, almonds, currants and herbs. Mix through the dressing, then place on a bed of rocket. *I love to use my quick peeler which also has a julienne cutter on one side. You’ll find these nifty gadgets at great kitchen shops like The Scullery.

I love slow roasted lamb, and my preference is always the shoulder because of it’s marbling throughout which gives you a beautiful tender result. A leg of lamb, on the other hand, has a layer of fat on the outside so can dry out if you are not careful. But a leg of lamb looks a lot more spectacular than a shoulder, so I recommend using Matt Moran’s trick of brining the meat (seen in The Recipe by Josh Emett). Serve it with a fresh salsa verde and beautiful spring vegetables and you have a gorgeous meal!

2 cups salt 1½ cups sugar 1 tsp black peppercorns 8 juniper berries (available at Vetro) 1 bay leaf 4 litres (16 cups) water

1 leg or shoulder of lamb 2 cloves garlic sprig of rosemary 2 cups beef or chicken stock

Place the salt, sugar, peppercorns, juniper berries and bay in a large pot. Add 2 litres of water and bring to a simmer. When the sugar and salt have dissolved, take off the heat and pour into a container large enough to hold your lamb. Add the remaining water and allow to cool completely before submerging the lamb. Place in the fridge for 3–4 hours. Take the lamb out of the brine and pat dry. Place the lamb in a deep oven tray along with the garlic, rosemary and stock. Smear half the salsa verde all over the lamb then cover with foil and bake at 150°C for three hours.

After the initial cooking period, remove the foil and pour off the juices. Turn up the heat to 200°C and return the lamb to the oven for 30–45 minutes to form a beautiful crust.

Take out of the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before tucking in—the meat should just fall off the bone.

Often outvoted, I’m not a big fan of the mint and lamb combination. This fresh salsa verde is a delicious addition to the lamb, creating a wonderful crust as well as a fresh dressing to the salad accompaniment. If you are like me and have an aversion to mint, you can minimise this and replace with more parsley or coriander. If you are one of those people who think coriander tastes like soap, tweak the coriander to your taste. Basil is a great substitute for both the mint and coriander. In essence, tweak this versatile sauce to your taste.

4 cloves garlic 2 cups parsley 2 cups mint 2 cups coriander 1 tbsp capers 3–4 anchovies 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp lemon zest 2 tbsp lemon juice ½ tsp salt ½ cup extra virgin olive oil Place all the ingredients, except the olive oil, in a blender or pestle and mortar and blend/pound into a paste. Slowly add the olive oil until you have a smooth, pesto-like consistency.

Whenever we have Indian takeaways, my order is predictable—onion bhaji and lamb korma. So this recipe is inspired by korma that uses cashew, not cream, to achieve a creamy yet aromatic curry. Lamb shanks, which need to be cooked low and slow, create a very rich dish that you’ll love.

4–6 lamb shanks (I used meaty shanks from Ovation available at www.greenleabutcher.co.nz) 1 cup plain yoghurt 1 tbsp garam masala 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp paprika ½ tsp cardamom 1 tsp salt ½ tsp pepper 1 tsp ginger, crushed 1 tsp garlic, crushed

2 cups cashew nuts soaked in 2 cups boiling water 2 tbsp oil 2 onions, pureed 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 chilli, deseeded and chopped 1cm ginger, peeled and grated 1 tbsp garam masala 1 tsp coriander ½ tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp turmeric ½ tsp cinnamon 1 tsp salt bay leaf 1 cup beef stock half a lemon

Combine the lamb with all the marinade ingredients and mix well. Cover and allow to marinate for at least an hour or overnight in the fridge. Place the onion, garlic, chilli and ginger in a blender and process to a puree. Remove and place the cashews in and puree until smooth. In a Dutch oven or large ovenproof pan, heat the oil, then add the onion mix. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent then add the spices. Cook for a minute or two until the pot is dry and the mixture is aromatic.

Add the lamb and all its marinade into the cooked onions, along with the stock, cashew paste, bay leaf and salt. Cover and place in a low oven (150°C) and cook for 2½ hours or until the lamb is tender and the sauce has reduced.

Add a squeeze of lemon juice, then check and season to taste. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and some extra chilli. Enjoy with rice and plenty of naan bread to mop up the sauce.

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