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

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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!

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First published in 2019

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

Mint and date chutney

Roast potato salad

Equipment

  • Ceramic barbecue
  • rotisserie attachment for barbecue
  • Food processor or blender

Method

1
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)
2
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
3
Preheat a ceramic barbecue to 180°C and set up your rotisserie attachment
4
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
5
Par boil the new potatoes in salted water for 10–15 minutes then drain and lightly crush. Drizzle with olive oil and salt
6
Drain the chickpeas and place on a tray small enough to fit onto one side of the barbecue. Drizzle with olive oil and salt
7
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
8
Once the meat has cooked, remove the spit and leave the lamb to rest under tin foil for at least 20 minutes
9
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
10
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
11
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
12
Carve the lamb and serve up with the warm potato salad and mint and date sauce

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