Thursday, April 26, 2012

Lamb Leg With Chickpeas

Yesterday was ANZAC Day here in Australia, and this dish is suitably healthy and Mediterranean. I love Neil Perry recipes, they are so simple and I always have to restrain myself from adding more ingredients! I serve this dish with some steamed green beans, because I also need a green on the side.

INGREDIENTS
1 boneless leg of lamb (about 1kg)
1 lemon

MARINADE
2 tbsp chopped parsley (lately I've been using curly parsley again because it seems to last longer in the fridge)
1 tsp chopped thyme (dried is fine)
2 tbsp chopped oregano (dried is fine)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest sea salt

CHICKPEA SALAD
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon sea salt and freshly ground pepper

YOGHURT DRESSING
250g plain yoghurt (I use this delicious yoghurt, the quality really counts here).
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Serves 2-4

Lay the lamb flat on a board, skin side down, and cut open the leg - you should have a rectangle of lamb about 3cm thick. (You can ask your butcher to do this for you but it really isn't difficult, just go for it!)

For the marinade, place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Add the lamb and turn a few times to coat. Cover (I actually place in a large ziploc bag) and refrigerate for 6 hours, or overnight, turning occasionally.
Remove the lamb from the fridge several hours before cooking, if you can.

For the yoghurt dressing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

For the chickpea salad, combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

Heat the grill or barbecue to hot (I use a griddle pan as I have no bbq).

Place the lamb on the barbecue and pour the marinade over the meat.
Cook for 8 minutes, then turn and cook for a further 8 minutes.
Transfer the lamb to a plate to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
Carve into slices. To serve place some chickpea salad on each plate, and top with sliced lamb.
Add a dollop of yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon, and spoon any juices over.

Adapted from: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/cuisine/mediterranean-feast-20120424-1xi9h.html