A Festive Classic – Roast Leg of Lamb!

568

The festive season is all about spending time with friends and family. Decorations throughout the entire home – even if it’s just paper chains and homemade snowflakes – with trees, candles, crackers, and good food … lots of it! And if you want to create an authentic festive meal we’ve got just the thing for you: roast leg of lamb, courtesy of author and food artisan, Dima Sharif.

Ingredients

• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• Pomegranate seeds for garnish
• Chopped parsley for garnish

For the leg of lamb

• 1 whole leg of lamb on the bone
• 6 garlic cloves, halved
• 2 tbsp yoghurt
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1 small onion, grated
• 1 ½t sp My Basic Spice mix
• ½ tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• Salt and black pepper

For the roasted potatoes and garlic

• 4 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 whole garlic bulbs
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried rosemary leaves, crushed
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. The night before roasting, trim any excess fat off the leg of lamb and score the flesh with a small knife, placing the halved garlic cloves inside the holes you just created.
   
2. In a small bowl, mix the yoghurt, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, grated onion, seasoning, spices, and the crushed dried rosemary, mixing well.
   
3. Drizzle slowly with olive oil and mix all to emulsify.
   
4. Place the leg of lamb in a large zip-lock bag, and add the emulsified yoghurt mixture. Then rub the leg of lamb with the mixture to coat. Seal the bag and place in the fridge overnight.
   
5. The next day, place the garlic bulbs in a deep roasting tin and drizzle lightly with olive oil, then set aside.
   
6. In a small bowl mix the olive oil, seasoning, garlic powder, and the crushed dried rosemary. Set aside.
   
7. Peel and quarter the potatoes and rub well to coat with the seasoned olive oil mixture, and then place the potatoes in the roasting tin with the garlic bulbs. Top with a wire rack and place the marinated leg of lamb over the rack, then cover the tin tightly with foil paper.
   
8. Roast, covered, in a 200°C preheated oven for one hour, then reduce the heat to 120°C and roast, covered, for an extra hour.
   
9. Make sure to shake the tin frequently to prevent the potatoes from sticking and burning. Remove the cover and roast for 15 minutes extra or until slightly browned.
   
10. Transfer the leg of lamb and vegetables to a serving dish and place the fresh rosemary sprigs on the sides for garnish and sprinkle all with the fresh pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley.
    
11. Serve with a side of salad and green olives.

Roast lamb is truly a classic dish to serve during the festive season, especially when you’re looking for an impressive meal to put together without too much fuss. Roast lamb served with all the trimmings – perfect!

Website: www.dimasharif.com
Instagram: @dimasharifonline
Facebook: @dima.alsharif
YouTube: Dima Al Sharif