Butterflied leg of lamb with apricot couscous and chickpea salad
Roast lamb is the go-to for many people at Easter, but it needn’t be the same every year. This recipe introduces bright, fragrant Middle Eastern–inspired flavours to perfectly complement the rich gaminess of the meat.
The zingy marinade also tenderises the meat, resulting in a melt-in-the-mouth, aromatic roast that will impress your guests, especially when you serve it with this mildly sweet apricot couscous and piquant, Dijon-laced chickpea salad. Mind you, it'll be equally delicious with roast potatoes and all the other usual trimmings.
Best of all, most of the recipe is hands-off, allowing you to spend more time with loved ones (while still feeling pretty smug about your cooking skills).
Things to note:
This recipe will need to marinate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
To ensure even cooking, ask your local butcher to debone and butterfly the lamb for you.
For US ingredients and measurements, use the drop-down menu and select 'Cups'.
Ingredients
For the lamb:- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tsp rosemary jelly (we like Tracklements Zingy Rosemary Jelly)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 pinch black pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2.2 kg leg of lamb, butterflied
- 1 pinch sea salt, to season
- 40 g raw pistachios, shelled
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 200 g couscous
- 4 tbsp apricot and ginger chutney (we like Tracklements Apricot & Ginger Chutney)
- 1 handful parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 x 400g cans chickpeas in water, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium cucumber, quartered and chopped
- 1 green pepper, finely chopped
- 0.5 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 small handful fresh mint, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (we like Tracklements Smooth Dijon Mustard)
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
Details
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern-Inspired
- Recipe Type: Lamb
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 30 mins
- Cooking Time: 60 mins
- Serves: 6
Step-by-step
For the lamb:
- Mix the garlic, rosemary jelly, lemon juice, black pepper and oil in a bowl.
- Place the meat onto a shallow dish, make slashes about 2.5cm (0.4in) deep through the fleshy side then rub the rosemary mixture all over and into the slashes. Cover and leave to marinate overnight or for at least 4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/475°F/gas mark 9. Place the lamb in a roasting tin and season both sides well. Cook in the oven for 45 minutes if you like your lamb pink, or 1 hour if you prefer it more well done.
- If the weather allows, and you fancy a smoky finish, pop it on the barbecue for 8 mins on each side until nicely charred and crispy.
- Carve the meat and pour over the juices from the roasting tin. Serve with apricot couscous and chickpea salad (below).
For the apricot couscous:
- Toast the pistachios in a pan on a medium-high heat until lightly browned, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Put 300ml (1¼ cups) of water in a pan. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and the salt and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, turn off the heat and cover the pan.
- Take the pan off the hob and let the couscous cook for 5-6 mins.
- Once the couscous has absorbed the water, spoon it into a large bowl and fluff it up with a fork. Stir in the pistachios, apricot and ginger chutney, parsley, onions and lemon juice. Add the other tbsp of olive oil, stir well and season to taste.
For the Dijon chickpea salad:
- Put all the salad ingredients in a bowl.
- Combine the dressing ingredients with a fork or whisk.
- Toss the dressing through the salad.
Recipe courtesy of Tracklements, which sells British-made chutneys, jellies and other condiments.
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