Easter Lamb with Pitta Breads, Spicy Potato Wedges and Fresh Salad

By James Bacon

Easter is a special time for family and friends to gather and enjoy the long bank holiday weekend. If you are staying at home for the gathering, this recipe is a wonderful take on the traditional Roast Lamb dishes that we see around this time, but with a middle Eastern flavour that is well worthy of such a celebration. I serve mine with warm pitta breads, spicy potato wedges and a fresh salad of chopped tomatoes, cucumber and onions lifted with parsley and mint and dressed in lemon juice and olive oil.

Kitchen tools needed: Med-Large Roasting tin

Serves 4-6

Prep: 10 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 3kg Lamb leg
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 3tbsp olive oil
• 2tbsp tomato paste
• 2tbsp red pepper paste
• 1tbsp dried oregano (from the Saunderton herb shaker)
• 1tbsp sea salt
• 1tsp smoked paprika
• 1tsp white pepper
• 1-2 tsp chilli flakes
• 250ml white wine
  

 Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Chop the garlic cloves into spears lengthways (roughly 4 per clove). Using a small sharp knife, pierce the lamb flesh to create spaces for the garlic spears. Place the garlic into the cuts so that the flavour can infuse into the meat while roasting.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients apart from the wine in a mixing bowl to form the marinade / spice rub for the lamb. Using your hands cover the meat thoroughly all over and cover with foil (this step can be done the night before for a stronger depth of flavour, if you chose to make sure to refrigerate the meat over night!)
3. Add the wine into the bottom of the roasting tin and cover tightly with foil, Place the lamb into the oven and reduce the temperature to 140 degrees and roast for 3 hours.
4. Remove the foil, baste with the pan juices and roast for a further 20-30 minutes until the surface has browned. Remove from the oven and place on the Berden carving board to rest for 10-15mins.