Herman says: Lamsboud will always remain the crown of the meat kitchen for me. Those Kalahari genes run deep in my body. I know Karoo farmers will argue with you and say that the best lamb comes from the Karoo, because nowhere else in the world do you get that unique, earthy flavour of the indigenous herbs, and that’s true. But Kalahari lamb is different – it’s sweeter, it’s more flavourful in a different way, and the fat is beautiful. I never grew up with fresh herbs in the kitchen; the closest you’ll get to it is parsley. The first parsley I saw was two pieces on the meat in the butcher’s shop, only two (I suspect it was plastic!). But recently I got the chance to get to know more about Cape fynbos flavours. And it’s when you’re standing there in the field smelling the wild herbs you crush in your hands that you start to appreciate the value of herbs and the impact they have on meat. I love this continent where we live. We must never forget how valuable her treasures and jewels are. Yes, it’s hard to live here, but it’s fun. I often make this leg of lamb as an ode to the rich ingredients and tastes that Africa shares with us.
Serves: 6–8
Ingredients
- 500g full cream yoghurt
- 100ml of harissa paste (look at the pesto shelf- it comes from Tunisia. Available at Woolies).
- 4 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped
- 2 handfuls of fresh coriander, finely chopped
- juice and grated zest of 2 lemons
- 30ml of pomegranate or molasses syrup
- 3kg of leg of lamb with shank on, ask the butcher to bone until just before the shank.
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 100 ml of cold water
- a handful of pomegranate seeds for garnish
Method
- Place yoghurt, harissa, garlic, coriander, juice and lemon zest in a food processor and puree at high speed until a smooth mixture forms. Scoop out half of the marinade into a clean bowl and mix in the pomegranate or molasses syrup. Cover and keep in the fridge – this becomes the sauce later.
- Place the leg of lamb in a glass or enamel bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with the remainder of the marinade. Close and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.
- Heat the oven to 160 °C. Fill an oven grill tray with water up to approx. 3 cm and place oven grill rack on top. The rack should sit just above the water. Place the leg of lamb on top of the rack and cover with foil. Oven roast for 3 hours.
- Remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 200°C. Roast for 20–25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and place on a serving plate. Cut into slices. Mix 100 ml of water with the marinade that you kept in the refrigerator and spoon over the meat. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.
“Nostalgia is peasant food = pumpkin cookies = offal = bobotie = pike = water florets = malva pudding = koeksisters = Hertzoggies = milk tart = nut coffee = rooibos tea … I could go on and on…” Stephanie Grobbelaar
