This dish will certainly wow your family over Easter & at any other time of the year that you decide to cook it. Serving it family style means less messing around in the kitchen trying to sexy up multiple plates and more time to chat with your in-laws. Hmmmm hold on a sec, might need to rethink this one!
If you just saw my Easter dessert that I posted and were wondering what the hell to cook before you demolished it then look no further because ‘anotherfoodblogger’ has you covered!
My folks were in town from Ireland recently and I wanted to create a few dishes that I could serve family style so that I didn’t have to spend time plating multiple dishes in the kitchen while the wife was being told hour long stories she had heard half a dozen times already! This way we had one (I think) great looking plate of food in the middle of the table and everyone could just tuck in and make their own mess – just watch the table!!! Not to mention less headaches for the missus.
Lamb is one of my favorite proteins to use and I have to say I really miss the lamb from back home. Where is home you ask? Good question, currently it’s Brisbane but my beautiful wife and I grew up in Dublin, Ireland. You really can’t beat the lamb from Ireland as it gets to roam free and snack on the herbs and plants in its natural environment. It really does add so much natural flavor to the meat. Recently, my wife, our now 19 month old and I moved from NYC to Brisbane, where the lamb is awesome but I’m sorry to say not as good as at home, but certainly a lot better than the lamb roaming the streets of NY!!
The thing that I love the most about living here in Brissie is the fact I finally got my hands on a Weber BBQ. Yes, they are an American brand of BBQ coming out of Chicago but my tiny little NY apt didn’t lend itself to too much BBQ’ing and everyone knows having a BBQ in Ireland means only getting to use it about a dozen times a year, while standing under an umbrella. What makes the Weber so damn good is their lid down cooking. It’s like having an oven on steroids outside and trust me when it’s hitting 40c / 104f with humidity in the 90’s you don’t really want the oven to be adding another 200c’s to your already struggling AC unit.
Anyways, aside from my love affair with my Weber there are many awesome things about living in Brisbane and maybe one day soon I’ll share some of them with you when I take a break from the kitchen.Ingredients
Lamb
1/2 shoulder of lamb boned & butterflied, approx 1kg. All butchers will do this for you.
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp rosemary – chopped finely
1 tsp chili flakes
1/2 lemon – juiced
salt & pepper
Gremolata (my version)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lemon – juiced
small bunch of parsley – finely chopped (approx 2 tbsp)
small handful of chives – finely chopped (approx 2 tbsp)
salt & pepper
400g can of chickpeas
1/2 lemon – juiced
3 dashes sesame oil
1 garlic clove – crushed
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp tahini
1/2 tsp dried cumin
2 tbsp water
Handful of almonds – chopped
Handful of raisins – soaked in warm water for 1min to rehydrate
4 – 8 carrots depending upon size. I used 2 large carrots and 6 different coloured baby carrots
1tsp honey
Essential Tools
small food processor – to make hummus
roasting tray
BBQ or oven (see tip)
measuring spoons
small mixing bowl
aluminium foil
Method
Lamb
1. Mix all ingredients together (except lamb) to make marinade. Marinate lamb for minimum of 1 hr but as long as 24 hrs if possible (see tip).
2. Wipe marinade gently from lamb using a paper towel.This will stop the marinade from burning when grilling.
3. Grill on BBQ @ 200c skin side down first for 8-10 mins, turn lamb over and grill for a further 10 mins or until internal temp of lamb is about 57c (for medium rare),
4. Remove from heat, cover loosely with foil and leave rest for 7 mins. During this time the lamb will still cook and internal temp will rise to about 63c.
Carrots
1. Clean carrots and chop into different shaped pieces making sure they are similar sized so that they cook evenly.
2. Drizzle with olive oil, salt/pepper and a tsp of honey.
3. Roast in oven @ 200c for 20 mins until cooked through and golden in colour.
Gremolata
1. Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl and stir.
1. Blend all ingredients together (except water) until the chickpeas are crushed and hummus is relatively smooth.
2. Add water to thin out hummus and blend to the texture you desire.
To Serve
1. Smear a large amount of hummus on chopping board or large plate.
2. Arrange carrots on top of hummus.
3. Slice lamb into appropriate sized pieces.
4. Place lamb over carrots/hummus.
5. Sprinkle raisins & almonds over lamb.
6. Drizzle gremolata on top.
7. Alternatively the dish can be served on individual plates.
8. If the family is super hungry consider grilling up some potato wedges to serve on the side. Stay tuned for my brown butter sweet potato recipe.
Tips/Tricks
*if you don’t have a BBQ (or live in Ireland!) the lamb can be roasted skin side up on a roasting pan or a rack for 18-20 mins @ 200c until internal temp is 57c*
**lamb shoulder is full of flavor but can tend to be a little tougher than leg. Marinating it for as long as possible will help tenderize it**
***leg of lamb will work just as well if the shoulder is unavailable***
****if you prefer your lamb a little more cooked than medium rare then cook on the grill for 4-5 mins longer. Don’t forget to leave it rest****
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