Roast Leg of Lamb with Aubergines & Red Onion and Potatoes Boulangère

The bf bought half a lamb a while ago through which we have slowly been working (I’ve wondered what happened to the kidney that surely is part of half a lamb but I guess I’ll, sadly, never know), including the shoulder which I’ve posted recently and also lots of lovely chops and steaks.. oh BBQ season how I will miss you.

I think apart from the leg which obviously we ate the other day there is only the breast left. Naturally I have something up my sleeve for that but in the meantime here we have a lovely leg, roasted with aubergines and red onions and accompanied with tasty potatoes boulangère. The latter is, in my opinion, just as impressive and yummy as a dauphinoise but a million times lighter and healthier.

We had the lamb leftovers a day or so later reheated carefully (on the bone, in the oven, wrapped in foil but laid on some diluted gravy to keep the moisture levels up) with some roast potatoes and mint sauce. Frankly, equally as delicious.

The quantities here for the lamb are fairly vague as I was a little in “make it up as you go along” mode and only scribbled down approximations later - just use your judgement.


Roast Leg of Lamb with Aubergines & Red Onion

2kg (ish) leg of lamb
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
anchovy paste
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp ras el hanout
1 tsp cumin
10 baby aubergines
1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges with root still intact
1 tin of cherry tomatoes
small handful of coriander stalks, finely chopped
2 tsp of harissa paste
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp tomato puree
good glug of red wine vinegar
½ tsp sugar
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Make deep slits in the lamb (carefully!) using a very sharp knife, poke some anchovy paste and a slice of garlic into each slit.

Pour a small amount of olive oil into a roasting tin and sit the lamb on top. Mix the honey, olive oil, ras el hanout and cumin together in a bowl so you have a thick paste and rub this all over the lamb.

Pop in the oven for 30 minutes.

Remove the lamb from the oven and scatter the aubergines and red onion around the lamb in the tin, tossing them around to coat with the oil & lamb juices. Place back in the oven and continue to cook for a further 30 minutes, occasionally turning the vegetables.

Meanwhile, in a jug, mix together the remaining ingredients.

Remove the roasting tin from the oven after the second 30 minutes and pour the tomato sauce over the vegetables in the base of the tin.

Return to the oven and cook for a further half an hour.

Remove from the oven and set the lamb aside to rest for 10 - 15 minutes loosely tented with foil.

Put the roasting tin on the hob and gently simmer the tomato sauce until it has reduced down slightly so you have quite a thick and chunky sauce.

Potatoes Boulangère
serves 3

750g potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
5g fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and bruised in a pestle & mortar
a few thyme sprigs
150ml vegetable or chicken stock
75ml milk
20g butter

Lightly butter a gratin or pie dish and preheat oven to 200C.

Take ⅔ of the rosemary leaves and chop them finely then fry the onions, thyme sprigs and rosemary in a little oil in a pan over a medium low heat until softened and lightly coloured (about 5 mins).

Arrange a layer of potatoes in the buttered dish then sprinkle over some onions and season. Continue layering like this, finishing with a layer of potatoes that slightly overlap.

Mix the stock & milk together and pour over the potatoes.

Season the top layer, then scatter over the remaining whole rosemary leaves and a sprig of thyme. Dot little flecks of butter all over the potatoes and place the dish on the highest shelf of the oven for 50-60 minutes, until the top is crisp and golden and potatoes are tender.

Serve with alongside slices of lamb atop the vegetable sauce.

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Blue Cheese and Walnut Stuffed Butternut Squash

Quick and simple is the order of the day with this recipe taken from HFW’s River Cottage everyday which was exactly what I needed for a post-Zumba light dinner. In fact I roasted the squash prior to going to my class, left it in the then turned off oven and finished off when I got back.

As with pretty much all stuffed vegetable dishes, the world really is your oyster in terms of altering the filling or even the type of squash. Small round squashes for instance such as onion, acorn or Crown Prince and different cheeses and nuts, herbs, chopped up crispy bacon or pancetta... you get the idea.


Blue Cheese and Walnut stuffed Butternut Squash
Serves 2

1 medium butternut squash, halved lengthways & deseeded
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
25g unsalted butter
olive oil
40g walnuts, lightly toasted & roughly chopped
100g blue cheese, crumbled
1 tsp chopped thyme
½ tsp agave nectar or runny honey
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Place the squash halves on a baking tray, divide the garlic and butter between the cavities of each half. Brush them with a little oil and season well.

Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes until the flesh is very tender.

Once cooked scoop out the flesh and garlicky butter into a bowl and mash with a fork. Be sure to leave about 1cm of flesh attached to the skin all the way round though else the squash won’t keep it’s shape very well (see my photos for an example of that happening!). Fold most of the cheese and walnuts (keep some back) and the thyme into the mashed flesh and season again.

Spoon the filling back into the squash halves, sprinkling the reserved nuts and cheese over each of them.

 Drizzle with a little agave nectar / honey then pop back into the oven and bake for a further 15 minutes.

Serve immediately with a nice salad.

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