Harissa and Apricot Leg of Lamb

Name: Harissa and Apricot Leg of Lamb
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 5 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2.5kg organic leg of lamb on the bone; 100g rose harissa paste; ½ tbsp minced garlic; ½ tbsp tomato puree; 2 preserved lemons; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tbsp maple syrup; 1l organic lamb stock; 8 apricots, halved; Sea salt; 500g giant or pearl couscous; 100g dried fruit: apricots, raisins or sultanas; 250g pomegranate seeds; bunch of fresh coriander, chopped; 1 lemon; Sea salt and cracked black pepper; 1 vegetable stock cube; 150 flaked almonds, toasted

Servings

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

3 hours

Infused with harissa and garlic, slow cooked and served on a bed of jewelled couscous for a fragrant lamb centrepiece.

Ingredients

For the lamb

2.5kg organic leg of lamb on the bone
100g rose harissa paste
½ tbsp minced garlic
½ tbsp tomato puree
2 preserved lemons
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp maple syrup
1l organic lamb stock
8 apricots, halved
Sea salt

For the couscous

500g giant or pearl couscous
100g dried fruit: apricots, raisins or sultanas
250g pomegranate seeds
bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
1 lemon
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 vegetable stock cube
150 flaked almonds, toasted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180c / 160c fan
Make your marinade by finely chop the preserved lemons and mashing into a paste. Mix with the harissa, garlic and tomato puree in a small bowl
Add the ground cumin and cinnamon and maple syrup to the marinade mixture, stir well and season with salt.
Slash the lamb leg slightly with a sharp knife and rub half of the marinade all over the lamb, ensuring the whole joint is well covered (save the other half for the cous cous)
Place the lamb in a deep roasting pan and pour the lamb stock around the joint. Tightly seal with tin foil and roast in the oven
After an hour, baste the joint with the pan juices, reseal and roast for a further 1 hour 45 minutes
Take the lamb from the oven, take off the foil and add the apricot halves to the roasting pan. Roast for a further 15 minutes, uncovered
Remove from the oven and leave to rest under the foil until ready to serve
While the lamb is cooking, wash and drain the couscous and place in a saucepan. Make the vegetable stock with 1.5 litres of water and add to the couscous. Cook the couscous according to the packet instructions until tender. Drain
Mix the dried fruit, pomegranate seeds, all but a handful of the fresh coriander and the grated zest of your lemon. Stir in the remaining harissa marinade and season to taste
Spoon the couscous onto a serving platter, place the cooked leg of lamb on top and sprinkle with the remaining chopped coriander and flaked almonds to serve