On a cold wet January evening this dish warmed the cockles of our friends’ hearts. We added oven baked aubergines as an accompaniment (more of this in the next blog) and included a dish of plain yoghurt to soften the edge of the chilli for those who prefer less heat.
For the lamb
- 1 leg of lamb on the bone
- 1 kilo red onions, peeled and thickly sliced
- 300ml chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons stratta smoky Moroccan oil
- 1 fresh chilli
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper
- 2 tablespoons stratta redcurrant balsamic vinegar
For the couscous
- 400g couscous
- 2 tablespoons stratta lemon olive oil
- 600ml water plus 2 chicken stock cubes (or your own chicken stock)
- Handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- Handful fresh mint leaves
- Handful fresh coriander leaves
- 100g black olives, pitted and halved
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper
Lamb
Preheat oven to 140°C.
Crush the garlic and finely chop the chilli, mix them into the smoky Moroccan oil along with the redcurrant balsamic vinegar.
Scoring the surface of the lamb will help the flavours be absorbed into the meat.
Place all of the red onions in a large roasting tin and put the leg of lamb on top. Pour the Moroccan mixture over the lamb and rub in well. Finish with some sea salt and freshly milled black pepper.
Roast for 4-5 hours, uncovered, basting occasionally. Gently lift the lamb out onto a serving dish and cover with foil to rest.
Use the chicken stock to de-glaze the roasting pan so that you end up with a rich onion sauce.
Couscous
Dissolve the chicken stock cubes in the boiling water.
Stir the lemon oil into the couscous along with salt and pepper. Add the hot chicken stock, stir, cover and leave for 5 minutes. Use a fork to fluff up the couscous before finally adding in the remaining ingredients. Serve immediately.
