Roast lamb with coriander seeds and rosemary

Perhaps the name Nigel Slater doesn’t immediately ring a bell, but this man is more important to our food than Nigella and Jamie combined. Nigella and Jamie themselves agree, by the way. His latest book is now in stores, and you should make sure to get your hands on it as soon as possible.

In his Winter Diary, food writer Nigel Slater takes you through winter one meal at a time. Each day, he tells you what he is doing, but more importantly: what he is eating. This shoulder of lamb with coriander seeds and rosemary would certainly not look out of place on the Christmas table. Have any meat left over? Naturally, it goes on a sandwich with a smear of mayo the next day.

“The time given here is for medium-roasted meat that is still fairly pink. Adjust the roasting time to suit your own taste. If the crust is not as brown as you like it, you can increase the oven temperature to 200 °C for the last fifteen to twenty minutes. I consider the resting time essential.”

Method

1. Using a very sharp knife, score the fat on the lamb at 1 cm intervals, cutting just beneath the fat, first in one direction and then in the other to create a diamond pattern. Place the meat in a roasting tin and preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Peel the garlic and put the cloves in a food processor or blender. Add a generous amount of freshly ground salt and pepper. Strip the needles from the rosemary sprigs and add them to the food processor along with the coriander seeds. Pour in the olive oil and blend everything into a coarse, somewhat runny purée.
3. Spread the purée over the meat and press it into the cuts. Roast the meat in the oven for approximately seventy-five minutes. It will then be medium-rare.
4. Remove the meat from the oven and leave it covered in a warm place to rest while you prepare the beans and spinach. Just before serving, place the meat on a cutting board, pour most of the fat out of the roasting tin and place it over medium heat. Pour the stock or wine into the pan and bring it to the boil, stirring and scraping the browned bits from the bottom. Season the sauce well.

Title: Winter Diary
Author: Nigel Slater
Publisher: Fontaine
Price: €29,99