Saffron Honey Roasted Lamb with Caramelized Onions🥘🍋🥰❤️
Marinade Ingredients:
60ml (¼ cup) olive oil
45ml (3 tablespoons) honey
60ml (¼ cup) lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, finely minced
10ml (2 teaspoons) cumin seeds, toasted
½ teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
½ - 1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes (to taste)
A pinch of saffron threads, steeped in 1 tablespoon hot water
1½ teaspoons sea salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
For the Lamb:
2.5 - 3kg leg of lamb (preferably free-range)
3 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
1 garlic bulb, halved
3 bay leaves
125ml (½ cup) chicken stock
Olive oil for roasting
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions:
Prepare the Marinade:
In a small mixing bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients: olive oil, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, toasted cumin seeds, fennel seeds, ground coriander, chili flakes, saffron with its water, sea salt, and pepper. Stir until well mixed.
Marinate the Lamb:
Rub the marinade all over the leg of lamb, ensuring it’s fully coated. Place the lamb in a non-metallic dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight.
Prepare to Roast:
The next day, bring the marinated lamb to room temperature before roasting. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Roasting the Lamb:
Arrange the onion wedges, halved garlic bulb, and bay leaves in a large roasting tin. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the lamb on top of the onions, fatty side down, and sprinkle a little more salt on the lamb.
Roast the Lamb:
Pour the chicken stock into the roasting tin, then cover the lamb loosely with foil. Roast for about 2½ hours.
Finish Roasting:
Remove the foil, carefully turn the lamb over so the fatty side is now facing up, and roast uncovered for another 50-60 minutes. To crisp the fat and caramelize the top, increase the oven temperature to 220°C (425°F) and roast for an additional 15-20 minutes until the top is deeply golden.
Rest the Lamb:
Remove the lamb from the roasting tin and cover with foil. Let it rest while you finish the gravy.
Make the Gravy:
Place the roasting tin with the juices on the stovetop over high heat and reduce the liquid until it thickens. For a thicker gravy, mix a little cornflour with water (a slurry) and whisk it into the pan juices. Simmer until the gravy becomes glossy and thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt or a squeeze of lemon juice.
Serve:
Reheat the lamb gently in the roasting tin with the gravy, then serve the tender roast lamb with the rich saffron honey gravy.
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