Roast leg of lamb (Moroccan-style)

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Buttery marinade (with preserved lemon flesh)

Simple ingredients - (I eventually cut many more slashes than is shown here)

By far the most popular meat of Morocco, this leg of lamb is an oven-roasted version of Méchoui. You won't need to carve this, you should be able to serve by pulling the tender meat away from the bone with a fork. Serve with roast potatoes, a selection of vegetables and harissa paste.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg (3.5 lb) leg of lamb

marinade

• 40 g 1.5 oz butter or ghee
• 2 Cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed (or to taste)

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon paprika powder
• ¼ teaspoons chilli powder (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt

to garnish

• Fresh coriander leaves or parsley

Mise en place

• Prepare the meat the day before so it can marinate overnight
• Preheat the oven to 220° C (425° F - gas 7)

Method

1. Trim the meat of excess fat
2. Carefully stab the joint all over with a knife
3. Blend the marinade ingredients to a paste. Soften the butter or ghee by microwaving for 20 seconds to make the mixing easier.
4. Spread this all over the surface of the lamb, pushing it into all of the the cuts.
5. Place in a sealable container and leave overnight in a refrigerator to marinate

the next day

1. Remove the leg of lamb from the container and place the a large roasting tray.
2. Free any solidified butter by microwaving the container for 30 seconds. Add this to the joint.
3. roast the joint at 220° C for 15 minutes. Don't be concerned by the burning butter, it will add to the flavour.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 180° C (350° F - gas 4) and roast for a further 2 hours. Baste regularly

Serving suggestions

Allow to rest for 10 minutes and serve with roast potatoes, harissa paste and a selection of vegetables.

Variations

Chop/ squash half of a preserved lemon and add it to the marinade.

Chef's notes

Don't be put off a recipe that calls for a leg of lamb because of the high cost. This recipe can be adjusted for half a leg of lamb and you buy that (frozen) for just £6.00! (March 2013).

See also

• Roast potatoes
• Roast vegetables
• Gravy recipes
• Perfect Yorkshire puddings