Roast Illabo Lamb With Tomato Olives And Aïoli Food

AUTHENTIC GREEK ROAST LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven at 400 F (200 C)
• Wash the lamb with a bit of wine. Pat dry
• In a small bowl mix 2 tsp fine salt and 1 tsp or so ground pepper.
• Rub the lamb with the salt and pepper mixture.
• Cut the garlic cloves in half and place them in a small bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper and toss.
• Make deep slits in the lamb (on both sides) and push in the halved garlic cloves.
• Rub 1 tablespoon dry oregano all over the lamb. And then rub the lamb with 3-4 tbsp olive oil and set aside
• Prepare the potatoes. Peel and soak in water if you have time for about 15-20 minutes (you can do this while you are preparing the lamb). Drain and rinse.
• Cut the potatoes in thick long wedges and place in a bowl.
• Drizzle the potatoes with ½ cup olive oil, and add 1-2 tbsp oregano, 3 tbsp lemon juice. ¾ tsp salt, 3 cloves, 3 allspice, fresh ground pepper, and 2 whole garlic cloves. Toss well, so potatoes are coated with the olive oil.
• Spread the potatoes in a large enough pan so that they are in one layer. Place the leg of lamb on top of the potatoes, top side facing down. Pour enough hot water in the corner of the pan tilting the pan so that water spreads throughout the base of the pan, covering the potatoes halfway. Cover with aluminum foil and put it in the oven.
• Roast for 15 minutes and then lower to 340 F (170 C), remove the foil and roast for another 30 minutes or until lamb has turned brown flip the lamb and cook another 30 minutes on the other side until brown and cooked through.
• Once lamb is done, you can remove it and continue roasting the potatoes until all the water has been absorbed and only the oil is left in the pan.
• Let lamb and potatoes rest for 15 minutes before serving.

ROAST ILLABO LAMB WITH TOMATO, OLIVES AND AïOLI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
• To make the Tomato Jam, place the tomatoes on a baking sheet in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Put the tomatoes through a food mill. In a food processor or bar mix (blender) purée the onion, garlic and ginger with 100 ml (1/2 cup) of the olive oil. Add the ground fennel, coriander and cumin to the onion mix.
• Place a heavy-based pot on the stove and pour in the remaining olive oil. Add the paste, and cook for 30 minutes over low heat or until the paste caramelises. Put in the palm sugar and allow to caramelise. Add the fish sauce and reduce slightly. Add the vinegar and cook for 1 minute, then the tomato juice. Stir, and cook slowly for 2 hours. You should be left with a thick, spicy and sweet jam with no liquid. To store, place in a sterilised jar, cover with a film of oil and refrigerate.
• To make the Aïoli, first combine the olive oils. Crush the garlic and salt together in a mortar and pestle. Whisk in the egg yolks, add the lemon juice and continue whisking while adding the olive oils in a thin stream until the emulsion thickens. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• To make the Braised Vegetables, peel the eggplant and cut the skins into 0.5 cm (1/4-inch) cubes (reserve the flesh for another use). Pour the olive oil into a heavy-based saucepan. Add the eggplant skins and fry until golden brown. Remove, and add the basil and parsley. Fry until dark green and crisp. Remove and strain the oil, reserving it for another use. Pour the extra-virgin olive oil into the pan and heat. Put in the onion, garlic and sea salt, and cook until soft. Add the capsicums (bell peppers) and anchovies, and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, herbs and capers, and return the eggplant to the pan. Add the lemon juice and taste for seasoning. Cook for 1 minute, then remove and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
• Trim any excess fat off the lamb legs, leaving the shank on. Rub all over with sea salt and olive oil, and place in a roasting pan in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Turn the lamb and add the potatoes. Cook for a further 15 minutes. Turn off the oven, remove the potatoes and cover the lamb loosely with foil. Leave the oven door open, and rest the lamb for 15 minutes.
• In a pot combine the braised vegetables with the tomato jam in a 3:1 ratio. Add the olives and potatoes. Heat through, but don't boil.
• Remove the lamb from the oven. Divide the vegetables and potatoes between 6 large white plates. Carve the lamb and place on top of the vegetables. Spoon over the aïoli, and grind over some pepper. Serve immediately.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH MINT AïOLI

Steps:

• Marinate lamb:
• Stir together garlic, onion, mint, savory, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, and cumin in a baking dish just large enough to hold lamb. Put lamb in dish and turn to coat, rubbing marinade into entire surface. Marinate lamb, covered and chilled, turning once or twice, at least 12 hours.
• Make aïoli:
• Mash garlic to a paste with kosher salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a large heavy knife), then add 1 cup mint and pound to a paste (or mince and mash with knife). Transfer to a bowl and whisk in yolks, then add half of oil, 1 to 2 teaspoons at a time, whisking constantly. Whisk in lemon juice, then slowly add remaining oil, whisking. Season with salt and pepper and stir in warm water.
• Working with several leaves at a time, stack remaining cup mint leaves, then roll up and thinly slice crosswise to make a chiffonade (thin strips). Stir mint into aïoli and chill until ready to use.
• Roast lamb:
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Wipe all of marinade from lamb and discard. Pat lamb dry and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Arrange lamb, boned side up, on a work surface and, beginning with a long side, roll up as tightly as possible and tie tightly with string.
• Heat vegetable oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown lamb on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack set in roasting pan and roast in middle of oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into lamb reads an average of 140°F for medium-rare (test in several places, as different muscles cook at different speeds; temperatures should range from 120 to 160°F), 40 to 60 minutes. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.
• Serve lamb with aïoli.

LAMB SHANKS WITH TOMATO & OLIVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced.
• Toss the lamb in combined flour, salt & pepper mixture. Shake away excess flour.
• Heat oil in a 3 litre capacity flameproof casserole or baking dish. Cook lamb shanks in batches until well browned all over. Remove from dish and drain on absorbent paper.
• Add garlic and wine to the dish, bring to the boil. Add stock, undrained tomatoes, anchovies, chilli and basil and stir to combine. Return lamb to dish and bring to the boil. Remove from stove top.
• Cover the lamb dish with lid or tightly with foil and place in over. Cook for 2 hours, turning lamb halfway through cooking. Remove lamb from dish and cover to keep warm.
• Add the olives and vinegar to the tomato mixture in dish, simmer on stove top, uncovered over a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until thickened slightly. Remove basil sprig.
• Sprinkle extra basil leaves over lamb and sauce.
• Serve hot.

LAMB WITH TOMATOES AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Trim fat from lamb and cut into bite-size pieces.
• Heat nonstick skillet until it is quite hot; reduce heat to medium and add lamb, sauteing in its own fat until it is brown on both sides.
• Mince garlic and add to lamb as it browns.
• Use half the tomatoes, breaking them up as you add them to pan, and all of the juice. Reduce heat. Add rosemary and continue cooking.
• Pit olives, add to sauce with pepper. Cook a few minutes or until rest of meal is done. Spoon over polenta.

LAMB WITH AIOLI

Steps:

• Heat oil in small saucepan; deep-fry thyme briefly, only about 5 seconds til fragrant. Remove thyme from oila and drain on absorbent paper.
• Prehead oven to moderate.
• Cut potatoes into 1cm slices; heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved thyme oil in ovenproof/flameproof baking dish; cook potato slices in batches til lightly browned on both sides. Return all potatoes to baking dish; add lamb and roast, uncovered for about 15 minutes or unil cooked as desired.
• Meanwhile, make aioli.
• Boil, steam or microwave spinach til just wilted; drain. Heat remaining thyme oil with butter in small saucepan; cook mushrooms and garlic til softened. Cut each lamb rack into 4 cutlets; divide among serving plates with spinach, potato and mushrooms. Top with aioli, garnish with fried thyme and drizzle with vinegar.
• Aioli: whisk mustard, vinegar, garlic and egg yolks in a small bowl til combined; gradually add oil in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly, til aioli thickens. Whisk in lemon juice.

ROAST LAMB

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Use a small sharp knife to make about a dozen incisions, each about 2 inches deep, through the fat that covers the top of the meat. Using a mortar and pestle or a blender, blend 2/3 of the anchovies (or 2/3 of the mustard if using), the rosemary leaves and the garlic cloves into a chunky paste. Using your fingers, press paste deeply into incisions.
• Mix remaining anchovies (or mustard) and the butter into a paste. Smear this mixture all over the surface of the roast. Season liberally with black pepper. (Do not add salt; the anchovies are salty enough, and so is the mustard.) Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up, and squeeze the lemon halves over. Pour the wine around the roast into the pan.
• Roast 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast until internal temperature reaches 130 to 135 degrees (for medium-rare or medium meat), about another 60 to 90 minutes. Baste every 20 minutes or so with the wine and drippings in the pan, adding more wine as needed to keep the liquid from scorching. If possible, for the last 15 minutes of cooking, use convection or a broiler to crisp the fat on the roast.
• Remove pan from the oven, remove rack from the pan, and let the roast rest on the rack for at least 15 to 20 minutes in a warm place, tented with foil. The internal temperature will rise to about 140 to 145 degrees.
• To make sauce from the pan drippings, remove a few tablespoons of fat by tipping the pan and spooning off the top layer. Put the pan over medium heat until the liquid simmers. Taste the simmering liquid and whisk in more wine, 1/4 cup at a time, until the consistency and flavor are right. Do not let the mixture become syrupy; it should be a sharp jus, not a thick gravy.
• Carve lamb into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange on a heated platter, decorated with rosemary sprigs. Serve with piping hot gravy.

LAMB STEAKS WITH TOMATOES & OLIVES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Heat the oil in a large roasting tin on the hob. Brown the lamb steaks in the tin over a high heat, about 1 min each side.
• Add the onion to the roasting tin with the oregano. Pour over the wine and throw in the tomatoes. Scatter the olives over the top, then place the tin in the oven for 15 mins until the lamb is cooked. Scatter with flat-leaf parsley and serve with boiled new potatoes.