Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Yoghurt, Pinenut and Raisin Sauce.
Tender lamb roasted with thyme and garlic, topped with a creamy yogurt sauce whirled with spring onions, toasted pine nuts, golden raisins, and zesty coriander. Served alongside new potatoes and crisp beans, this simple dish is such a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
900g New potatoes, scrubbed
900g Butterflied leg of lamb
45ml Extra virgin olive oil
2 Large sprigs thyme
4 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
250ml Plain unsweetened yoghurt
60g Pinenuts, toasted in a dry pan over moderate heat until browned
60g Golden raisins
2 Spring onions, thinly sliced
15g Coriander, ¾ of it chopped coarsely, the other ¼ in leaves for serving
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C
Put the potatoes into a large saucepan, season with salt and cover well with water. Bring to the boil and boil gently for about 15 minutes or until tender
Meanwhile put the lamb (skin side down) on a clean board. Cut through halfway (but not completely) any of the thick parts then cover the whole thing with plastic wrap
Beat with a rolling pin or meat hammer until it is uniformly about 4cm thick, then place in a large bowl with the oil, thyme, 3 cloves of the garlic and the pepper. Season with salt and mix well so everything is evenly distributed over the lamb
Heat an ovenproof frying pan over high heat and brown the lamb on each side with the thyme in the pan, then place in the oven for 10 minutes for medium. Remove from the oven and rest 5 minutes before slicing thinly
While the potatoes and lamb are cooking, put the yoghurt, pine nuts, raisins, spring onions and the chopped ¾ of the coriander into a bowl. Mix well, taste and season
Drop the beans into a saucepan of boiling salted water and boil for 3 minutes. Drain well before plating
Serve the sliced lamb with the potatoes and beans with the sauce over the lamb and coriander leaves sprinkled on top