Monday 17 October 2011

Cookbook of the month

I've taken up Gina's cookbook challenge, and I'm going to pick one cookbook each month to cook some new recipes from. It seemed like a good idea, and I have plenty of cookbooks to choose from!

This month it's my perennial favourite Nigel Slater (he may reappear often as I have most of his books!), and his excellent Kitchen Diaries. This book has my all-time favourite quick cake recipe, so it seemed a safe bet for some dinner inspiration.
Sunday nights in winter/spring are traditionally roast nights, so I had a nice 1/2 leg of local lamb to play with. 
Whizz up 4 cloves of garlic, a big handful of mint, the juice of 2 lemons and several good pinches of cumin seeds, add olive oil until it's just slushy enough to spread on the lamb without running off. Cut 3 or 4 deep cuts through the lamb - even into the flesh a bit. Massage the "slush" all over the meat, and make sure you get it into the cuts as well. Leave in a cool place (not the fridge) for about an hour, occasionally spooning over any marinade that's slipped off. Roast. Consume. Sigh with pleasure.
Jerry's verdict? " You wouldn't get a better roast in a restaurant"
Thanks Nigel S, once again you've made me look like a domestic goddess :-)

4 comments:

africanaussie said...

Oh I like the sound of that! I often take garlic cloves and insert them into slits, but then there are those that don't like garlic (truly there are!) this sounds as though you would get all the yummy flavor without the chunky bits...

Margo said...

I usually always do the slits with garlic and rosemary, but this one had such a lovely fresh taste thanks to the lemon and mint that I think it will be my new standard going forward

Anonymous said...

Hi! I've often done the lamb over with dukkah, especially if I've got a boned roast. Tastes of the mediterranean.

On another note: are your dogs climbers? Mine is having no end of fun escaping over 5feet of pailings or dog wire.

Gina said...

Yummy!

I hope you enjoy digging into your cookbook collection like I am!

Gina

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