First posted: Jul 20, 2010
Roast Lamb in Red Wine to write home about
So we all agree that in winter there is not much that beats a nice home-cooked roast lamb. (If you don’t then we can’t possibly be friends). And given my penchant for all things wintery and roasted, it is only fitting that I investigate further the variations on this noble dish. (You’re welcome). So enter Aunty Sue. She is Rob’s (blonde, gorgeous, wild and hysterically funny) Aunt who lives on a stunning little farm outside Stellenbosch. And she’s a Silwood-trained chef. Yip, you bet we don’t need our arms twisted even a little bit when we crack the nod to a ‘Sunday lunch on the farm’. Sue is often admirably accompanied in the kitchen by Chris – her wise, unassuming, more pensive other half. Wine typically flows freely in their household, and good times are guaranteed for all.
In my eagerness whilst observing the preparation of the lamb when we were there recently, I actually forgot to write down the details, and sadly we had to tear ourselves away before it was actually served (imagine my agony) So in light of this, it should be said that any deliciousness should most certainly be attributed to Sue and Chris, and any recipe ‘issues’ you can blame on me.
Anyway, having missed out the first time round, it made us all the more excited to get stuck in and give it a bash when Rob and I were in the Cederberg recently. There was no electricity in the cottage, so we had to cook this on a weber over the coals (don’t panic city slickers it works just as well in an oven). What a great way to spend a winter Saturday afternoon in the mountains, reading a book in the sun while the aroma of lamb roasting in red wine wafts merrily about. Very. Nice. Indeed.
Ingredients
Cooks in: Serves:4
- 1 roast lamb - with or without the bone. Work on approximately 200 grams per person when buying.
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 tomato, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp chopped garlic
- 3-4 'sticks' fresh rosemary
- Half bottle good red wine
- Salt and pepper
- 2 sheets tinfoil (each enough to cover the dish of the pot)
- Good heavy ovenproof dish/pot with a lid
What to do
1. Pre-heat oven to 120C 2. Place lamb in the dish and scatter over the onion, tomato and rosemary. Make a couple of small incisions in the lamb and stuff with the garlic and pour over the red wine as well as a generous sprinkle of salt (1 tsp) and freshly ground black pepper (2 tsp) 3. Cover the dish with two layers of tinfoil and put the lid on. Place in the oven and cook for about 3 hours at 120C 4. Remove after 3 hours to check if you need to add in a little water or stock for extra liquid We served this with Braai-Roasted Vegetables You might also like Photo from 'Smitten' by Warren Heath.
Remove from oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes with lid still on after 3 hours and then carve and serve immediately on pre-warmed plates.
Add a mixture of chopped butternut, red onion, potato, sweet potato, 1 stick of rosemary, salt and pepper and half tsp garlic.
Make into a 'parcel' by wrapping the vegetables in two layers of tinfoil.
Cook for the last hour on the coals or in the oven with the lamb or until a knife slices through the butternut easily.
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