Debbie Quinn has a lifelong love of food and cooking, nurtured in her parents’ restaurants and in her own family’s kitchen. Every fortnight she shares her passion and expertise with our readers, bringing her best recipes, tips and tricks to the table.
When combined, these beautiful flavours of garlic, rosemary, anchovies, orange zest, orange juice, stock and olives make the most delightful Greek sauce for this leg of lamb.
The lovely potato gratin also accompanies this dish so well.
Give it a go; it’s easy and scrumptious.
Lamb roast
Ingredients
Approx 1.6kg leg of lamb
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp rosemary leaves, chopped finely
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 good quality anchovy fillets in oil
500ml chicken stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp finely grated orange rind
Juice of 1 orange
60g pitted black olives
Method
Trim any excess fat from the lamb leg, rub all over with garlic and rosemary, then drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
If possible, marinate in the fridge overnight and take it out of the fridge one hour prior to baking it in the oven.
Alternatively, leave to marinate in a cool place for a couple of hours.
Preheat oven to 200ºC. Place the lamb in a roasting tray and roast for one hour for a medium result or until cooked to your liking.
Transfer the lamb to a warm plate and set aside to rest.
Put the roasting tin over medium heat, add the anchovies and break them up with a wooden spoon, then pour in the chicken stock, stirring to deglaze.
Add the tomato paste and balsamic vinegar and stir until slightly reduced.
Add the orange rind and juice. Stir until reduced and slightly thickened, then add the olives.
Slice lamb and serve with sauce.
Potato gratin
25g butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 lge onions halved and thinly sliced
1 tsp thyme leaves
1.2kg potatoes peeled
30g extra butter
750ml chicken stock (2 heaped teaspoons of chicken stock powder mixed with water) or liquid chicken stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 200ºC. Heat a medium frypan over medium to low heat, and add the butter and olive oil.
When the butter has melted, fry the onions, stirring for 10 minutes until slightly golden, then stir through the fresh thyme leaves.
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 layers twice, finishing with an onion layer.
Pour over the chicken stock, cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Uncover and bake for a further 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and potatoes feel tender when tested with a knife.
Deb’s tips
If you can’t be bothered making the potato gratin, simply toss quartered peeled potatoes in olive oil and, pitch them into the roasting dish with the lamb and serve with your favourite salad.
You can also serve this dish with your favourite green veg. Or just roast some fresh tomatoes, which also work a treat with the lamb. Cut them in half, drizzle some olive oil and crushed garlic on top of the tomatoes and bake for 20 minutes. If you have any basil growing in the garden, toss a bit on top.
Again, don’t be afraid of anchovies; they give the dish a great flavour and you won’t even know they are there.