Ingredients

Method

• 2 kg bone-in leg of lamb
• 4 T olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup harissa paste
• 8 beetroot, quartered
• 300 g cooked couscous
• ½ cup fresh mint shredded
• 1 cup pomegranate rubies
• 2 lemons, for serving
• Greek yoghurt, for serving

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Rub the lamb with 2 T olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and smear the harissa all over the lamb using the back of a spoon, then return to the oven and reduce the temperature to 160°C and roast for a further 60–70 minutes.

Toss the beetroot in 1 T olive oil and season to taste, then carefully add to the same dish as the lamb for the last 40 minutes of cooking time. If the outer layer of the lamb starts to catch, cover it in foil.

Remove the lamb from the oven, cover with foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Add the remaining olive oil to the cooked couscous, toss with the mint and ¾ cup pomegranate rubies, and season to taste.

Serve the couscous with the lamb and beetroot and sprinkle over the remaining pomegranate rubies. Squeeze over the lemon juice and serve the yoghurt on the side.

Cook’s note: The lamb is cooked rare when a skewer inserted into the fattiest, widest part of the lamb, and close to the bone, is warm to the touch. When the skewer is hot, the lamb is cooked medium. The general rule for roasting lamb is 20 minutes per 500 g, plus an extra 20 minutes.

“This dish is delicious when served in slices on couscous or lentils.” – Hannah Lewry