Rotisserie harissa lamb leg with mint and date sauce and roast potato salad

Name: Rotisserie harissa lamb leg with mint and date sauce and roast potato salad
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: 1/2 leg of lamb, butterflied (approx 1kg); 8 garlic cloves, peeled; 2 tsp harissa; 2 tsp olive oil; 5 sprigs of fresh thyme; lemon, zested; salt; pepper; 30g of fresh mint, leaves picked; 10g of parsley, leaves picked; 3 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped; 1/4 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp balsamic vinegar; 80ml of olive oil; 1 lemon, juiced; salt; 1kg new potatoes; 1 tin of chickpeas, drained; 150g of cherry tomatoes; 50g of black olives, sliced; 25g of capers; 2 tbsp of poppy seeds; 1 handful of parsley, chopped

by GBC Kitchen

Item 1 of 1

Main
easy
6–8
1 hour 30 minutes

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Studded with garlic and smothered in fiery harissa – this is the perfect way to barbecue a lamb leg on a summer's day! Cooking it on the rotisserie means the lamb is self-basting in its own delicious juices, which results in a juicier, tastier end result. It's perfectly paired with a sticky mint and date sauce and a tasty salad of barbecued potatoes, tomatoes, crispy chickpeas and poppy seeds. A great solution for a summery Sunday dinner if you're feeding lots of guests!

Click the here for more of our top summer barbecue recipes!

First published in 2019

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Barbecuing rotisserie-style has to be the best way to cook a lovely fatty cut of meat like the lamb leg. As the meat rotates it bastes itself in its own fats and juices, as well as getting a nice even sear. We've chosen a fiery harissa marinade which stands up to the strong flavour of lamb and studded with garlic, this is one flavourful piece of meat.

As the lamb rests, char the potatoes and crisp up the chickpeas on the barbecue to add a little smoke to the salad.

Finally, it is served with a sticky yet fresh sauce of mint and dates. Made in the blender, the dates emulsify with the oil to create a silky, almost mayonnaise-like mint sauce.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Harissa lamb

1/2 leg of lamb, butterflied (approx 1kg)
8 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsp harissa
2 tsp olive oil
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
lemon, zested
salt
pepper

Mint and date chutney

30g of fresh mint, leaves picked
10g of parsley, leaves picked
3 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
80ml of olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
salt

Roast potato salad

1kg new potatoes
1 tin of chickpeas, drained
150g of cherry tomatoes
50g of black olives, sliced
25g of capers
2 tbsp of poppy seeds
1 handful of parsley, chopped

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Equipment

Ceramic barbecue
rotisserie attachment for barbecue
Food processor or blender

Method

Begin by marinating the lamb, do this the day before if possible. Score the outside of the leg. Using a small knife, make small cuts dotted around the lamb and poke 4 of the cloves of garlic into the holes (slice the cloves if they are large)

Finely grate the remaining garlic and mix the harissa with the olive oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper, then rub evenly over both sides of the lamb. Place the thyme on the underside and roll back up. Leave to marinate in the fridge for up to 2 days, but bring out of the fridge to come to room temperature before cooking

Preheat a ceramic barbecue to 180°C and set up your rotisserie attachment

Place the lamb leg on the rotisserie skewer, using the claws on each side to hold the lamb in place. Make sure you have no larger flaps hanging down or it won’t cook evenly. Cook on the rotisserie for 1 hour with the lid closed, and keep an eye on the temperature ensuring it stays between 160°C and 200°C

Par boil the new potatoes in salted water for 10–15 minutes then drain and lightly crush. Drizzle with olive oil and salt

Drain the chickpeas and place on a tray small enough to fit onto one side of the barbecue. Drizzle with olive oil and salt

To make the mint and date chutney, place all the ingredients in a blender and blitz. After a while, the oil will begin to emulsify with the dates, giving it a thick texture similar to mayonnaise. Taste and season with more lemon juice if needed and salt

Once the meat has cooked, remove the spit and leave the lamb to rest under tin foil for at least 20 minutes

Remove the rotisserie attachment and place both grills at the lower level. Place the potatoes directly onto the grills on one half and the tray of chickpeas on the other half. Close the lid at cook for around 30 minutes, turning the potatoes and shaking the tray of chickpeas every 10 minutes

With 10 minutes to go, the chickpeas should be crispy. Scrape them to one side of the tray and add the cherry tomatoes with a drizzle of oil

Remove the potatoes and place straight into the serving dish. Add the crispy chickpeas and tomatoes which should be hot and just starting to burst from their skins. Then sprinkle with the olives, capers, poppy seeds and parsley

Carve the lamb and serve up with the warm potato salad and mint and date sauce

First published in 2019

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GBC Kitchen is where you'll find accessible, inspiring recipes with a twist, from our in-house team of recipe developers. Perfect for mid-week meals or special occasions alike, GBC Kitchen recipes will help you become a more confident cook, and impress those around you in the meantime!

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