TO DRINK: Bellevue Morkel Malbec has a minty character, juicy tannins and upfront fruit – perfect for lamb.
Spicy lamb with artichokes and chickpeas
Ingredients
- SPICY RUB
- 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 1 large sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped, plus extra to garnish
- 30ml (2 tbsp) ground coriander
- 5ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
- 15ml (1 tbsp) ground cumin
- 5ml (1 tsp) ground cloves
- 1 dried chilli, chopped
- 30ml (2 tbsp) brown sugar
- 1,5kg deboned rolled leg of lamb
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 bay leaves
- 150ml verjuice
- 1 x 410g tin chickpeas, drained
- 1 x 400g tin artichoke hearts, drained
- 1 bunch of fresh mint, chopped
- 1 garlic bulb, roasted and halved, to serve
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
For the rub, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion until soft. Add the rosemary, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, cloves and chilli. Fry until the mixture is aromatic and the onion starts to caramelise. Remove from the heat, stir in the sugar and set aside to cool.
Open up the lamb and trim off any excess fat. Cut into the shank to flatten if necessary. Lightly pierce the outside fatty skin so that it will crisp up in the oven. Season all over.
Spread two thirds of the rub over the inside of the lamb and roll it up to form an even roll. Secure it with string at regular intervals, tying on the bay leaves as you go. Spread the remaining rub over the outside, place the lamb in a roasting tin and roast for 20 minutes.
Reduce the heat to 180°C. For rare lamb, roast for a further 15 minutes per 500g; for medium, 20 – 25 minutes per 500g; and for well-done lamb, about 35 minutes per 500g. If the meat has not browned sufficiently at the end of the cooking time, turn the oven to the highest setting for the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Remove from the oven, place the lamb on a serving plate and cover with foil. Leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Add the verjuice to the roasting tin and deglaze over a medium heat on the stove. Add the chickpeas and artichokes, and heat through. Just before serving, fold the mint through the mixture and check the seasoning.
Slice the lamb, pour the chickpea mixture over, garnish with rosemary and serve with spicy pumpkin and roasted garlic.
