Slow Roasted Lamb with Olives and Potatoes (Serves 6 – 8)
This is the perfect meal to pop in the oven after breakfast to have ready for a delicious ”serve at the table” casual lunch! Alternatively, it’s also lovely for a dinner party.
Ingredients
- 6 x cloves garlic – 3 x peeled and sliced, 3 x unpeeled.
- 8 – 10 fresh bay leaves
- 150ml dry white wine
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2.5kg Leg Lamb
- 50ml extra virgin olive oil plus 4 x tbsp olive oil for the potatoes
- 1kg Desiree potatoes, peeled and quartered lengthways
- 150g pitted sicilian olives
- 1 tbsp preserved lemon rind (finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp cream
Method
Step 1
- Heat the oven to 220 degrees (200 fan forced).
- Put the unpeeled garlic cloves, wine and butter into a roasting dish and place the lamb on top.
- Season the lamb well with salt and then drizzle with olive oil and rub the salt and oil into the lamb.
- Using a small sharp knife, cut 8 -10 small incisions into the lamb and then tuck the peeled and sliced garlic and bay leaves into the incisions.
- Place a sheet of baking paper over the lamb and tuck it in around the the lamb like a blanket and then cover the baking dish tightly with a double foil layer and place in the oven. Immediately reduce the oven temp to 150 degrees (130 degrees fan forced).
- Leave to cook for 4 hours.
Step 2
- After 2 ½ hours put the potato wedges in a large roasting tin, coat them in 4 tbsp olive oil and season them well. Roast them in the oven with the lamb for 2 hours.
Step 3
- After 4 hours, remove the foil and baking paper and cook for a further 30 minutes.
- Toss the potatoes
Step 4
- Transfer the cooked lamb to a large piece of foil and wrap tightly – rest for 20-30 minutes.
- Check if the potatoes are cooked and, if you need to, turn the oven up to 200 degrees to finish them off.
- Gravy – squeeze the garlic out of the skins, add to the liquid left in the baking dish then bring it to the boil, stirring well, and allow to boil for approx 3 minutes. Add 2 x tbsp cream and then gently simmer until the sauce is to the consistency that you like. Season to taste. Pour into a jug and serve separately.
- Transfer the lamb to a serving plate, toss the preserved lemon and drained olives through the crispy potatoes and arrange around the lamb.
Suggested time line for 1pm lunch
- 8am put the lamb in the oven.
- 10.30am – put the potatoes in the oven.
- 12pm – remove the foil & baking paper from the lamb and place back in the oven.
- 12.30pm – remove the lamb, cover with foil, finish off the poatoes and prepare gravy.
- 1pm – serve!
