Jon's 'isolation' aromatic lamb
Even though the weekends now look a little different for Jon’s family, he didn’t want to let the days slip by. He wanted to try out a fancy lamb dish for himself and his wife. To get the ultimate flavour, he toasts the spices to release lots of aroma, caramelises the meat, and strains yogurt into labneh… then heads back to bed while the oven works its magic.
- Toast the seeds in a dry frying pan for 2 mins until fragrant. Grind with a pestle and mortar, then add the garlic, baharat, salt, oil, and lemon juice and zest. Grind until smooth, then rub over the lamb.
- Preheat the oven to gas 1⁄2, 130°C, fan 110°C. Place a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the lamb and sear all over until well browned.
- Transfer the lamb to a large casserole dish with the thyme. Pour in the pomegranate juice and drizzle over the honey. Cover tightly with the lid and cook for 6-7 hrs until the meat falls off the bone.
- To make the labneh, place a muslin cloth in a sieve over a bowl, then spoon the salted Greek yogurt into the centre. Leave to strain in the fridge.
- Put the onions in a heatproof bowl. Put the cider vinegar, sugar and 150ml water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour the liquid over the onions in the bowl, stir and set aside while the lamb cooks.
- Once the lamb is cooked, remove from the dish and set aside to rest. Heat the cooking juices over a medium heat until syrupy.
- Shred the lamb with 2 forks and toss in the cooking juices. Serve piled on top of couscous, if you like. Top with the labneh, onions, mint, pomegranate seeds and pistachios, if using.
Leftovers: Got leftover roast lamb? Turn it into a comforting lamb ragu or follow our step-by-step recipe for lamb croquettes.
Little help: Add fresh parsley, mint, dill and lemon juice to the couscous for a burst of fresh flavour.
See more Lamb recipes
For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.
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