Roast Lamb with Dill and Elderflower Syrup
Boned, butterflied lamb leg marinated, rolled with a dill-walnut-parmesan pesto and roasted with an elderflower syrup glaze.
Ingredients
| 2-2.5 kg | lamb leg | |
| 30 ml | olive oil | |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.5 ml | coarse sea salt, or to taste |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.5 ml | freshly ground black pepper, or to taste |
| 1 | head of garlic, halved crosswise | |
| 1 | lemon, peeled, sliced into rounds | |
| 200 ml | white wine (for the marinade) | |
| 200 ml | water (for the marinade) | |
| 40-50 ml | vinegar (for the marinade) | |
| 3-4 | lemon slices, with peel (for the marinade) | |
| 3-4 | bay leaves, dried (for the marinade) | |
| 5-6 | allspice berries (for the marinade) | |
| 10 | black peppercorns (for the marinade) | |
| 2-3 | sprigs fresh spearmint or mint (for the marinade) | |
| 2-3 | garlic cloves, crushed with the flat of a knife (for the marinade) | |
| 1/2 | onion, sliced (for the marinade) | |
| 1 | bunch fresh dill (for the dill paste) | |
| 1 | handful walnuts, lightly toasted (for the dill paste) | |
| 1 | large handful grated parmesan (for the dill paste) | |
| 1-2 | garlic cloves (for the dill paste) | |
| 3-4 tbsp | 45â60 ml | olive oil (for the dill paste) |
| 1 | grated zest of lemon (for the dill paste) | |
| 1 tbsp | 15 ml | freshly squeezed lemon juice (for the dill paste) |
| 1 | large pinch coarse sea salt, or to taste (for the dill paste) | |
| 1 | large pinch freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (for the dill paste) | |
| 50-60 ml | elderflower syrup (for the glaze) | |
| 30 ml | white wine (for the glaze) | |
| 20-30 ml | water (for the glaze) |
Instructions
- Carefully bone the lamb leg, trying to keep the meat whole, and butterfly it (cut it "butterfly" style).
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a deeper vessel and marinate the meat for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Make the pesto by blending all its ingredients in a blender to a homogeneous paste.
- Heat the oven to 200ÂșC, or 180ÂșC with fan.
- Line the bottom and sides of a shallow tray with baking paper.
- Drain the meat from the marinade and rub it all over with the olive oil.
- Rub the salt and pepper all over as well, and spread the meat out on a work board with the greased side facing out.
- Spread half of the dill paste evenly over the inner side of the meat and roll it up into a tight roll.
- Brush the roll evenly with the rest of the pesto and tie it up with kitchen twine.
- Place the roll in the paper-lined tray and arrange the halved head of garlic and the sliced lemon around it, drizzling them with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle with half of the glaze and roast in the oven heated to 200ÂșC, or 180ÂșC with fan, for 1 hour for medium, or another 10 minutes or so for well done, basting from time to time with the roasting juices.
- About 30 minutes before the meat is done, drizzle with the rest of the glaze and, if necessary, toward the end cover with aluminum foil so it does not burn.
- Remove the finished roll from the oven, transfer to a suitable plate and cover loosely with foil for 10-15 minutes to rest.
- Slice into pieces and serve with the sauce, lemons and garlic from the roasting and a preferred side dish...