Serves four-six
Ingredients
1.7kg leg of lamb, trimmed of any excess fat
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp chopped rosemary leaves Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 good-quality anchovy fillets in oil (tinned or in jars)
500ml chicken stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp finely grated orange zest
Juice of 1 orange
60g pitted black olives
For the gratin potatoes
25g butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 tsp thyme leaves
1.2kg yellow waxy potatoes
30-40g butter
750ml chicken stock
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
For the lamb
• Rub the lamb all over with garlic and rosemary, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. If possible, leave to marinate in a cool place for a couple of hours, or overnight in the fridge if time permits.
• Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Place the lamb in a roasting tray and roast for 11/2 hours, or until cooked to your liking.
• Transfer the lamb to a warm platter and set aside to rest in a warm place.
• Put the roasting tin over a medium heat, add the anchovies and break them up with a wooden spoon, then pour in the stock, stirring to deglaze.
• Add the tomato paste and balsamic vinegar and stir until slightly reduced.
• Add the orange zest and juice. Stir until reduced and slightly thickened, then add the olives.
For the potato gratin
• Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the butter and olive oil. When the butter has melted, fry the onions, stirring, for 10 minutes until golden brown.
• Stir through the thyme. Peel and slice the potatoes very finely, using a mandolin, if you have one.
• Arrange a third of the potatoes in a medium baking dish, scatter over a third of the onions, dot with butter and season well. Repeat the layers twice, finishing with an onion layer. Pour over the chicken stock, cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
• Uncover the baking dish and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the potatoes feel tender when tested with a knife.
Recipe taken from Bill Granger’s Feed Me Now. Out now and available to order from Magrudy’s for Dhs120
