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While I cook most of the time, on Sundays when we generally don't go out for the day, I prefer to do something "special" for us to wrap up the weekend. Roasts are always a hit, but when you make them frequently as I do, it can be difficult to come up with new, inventive, and original methods to prepare and serve them. In these situations, I usually turn to our trusty friend Google for ideas.
I recently came across a few recipes that inspired me for the creation of the main course and several side dishes that caught my attention too. I then decided to put my twist on them, as I always like to do - something about creative license!
A lot was going on with this recipe, so I'll go about it as systematically as I can to prevent misunderstanding... The first step was making the rub for the roast, which is essentially what gives it an exotic twist. Although it took some time, it was worth it! It combined all of my favorite flavors: crunchy, tasty, tangy, and sweet. The recipe I read is NOTHING LIKE THIS... Due to the items that were or were not accessible at the time, I essentially created this recipe on my own, but I think it was a wonderful mashup and actually really liked it!
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THE RUB
INGREDIENTS...
1 cup of fresh pomegranates
2 teaspoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
The juice of one lemon (used 50/50)
HOW TO:
Pomegranates must first be blended. To do this, I merely used a hand blender. The pulp is then added to a small pot along with sugar and lemon juice. It should reduce to a nearly sticky, chunky molasses-like consistency after being brought to a gentle, constant boil AND also... being stirred often, OTHERWISE IT WILL BURN. After that, turn off the heat and leave the dish aside to cool. Once it has cooled, combine it with the cumin, olive oil, garlic, and the remaining half of the lemon juice in a bowl.
We will return to the rub in a moment, but that is essentially all. The boulangére potatoes were the next item of business. Since I had never cooked these before and had seen them on a completely other recipe, I decided to make them the main side because they looked delicious and would go perfectly with a roast. After all, a roast would not be complete without some potatoes! Although I usually avoid normal potatoes and still intend to try this using sweet potatoes, I figured I would start out by cooking it the traditional way. This was quite simple to put together, and I have to say it was wonderful.
POTATOES BOULANGERE
INGREDIENTS
3 large peeled potatoes, VERY thinly sliced
1 large onion very thinly sliced
A sprig or two of fresh rosemary diced
Salt and Pepper to taste
A dollop of olive oil
HOW TO:
Peel and cut the potatoes and onion into thin slices. In a little olive oil, sauté the onions. Just heat them through for about 3 minutes without cooking them. Sliced potatoes, onion, rosemary, salt, and pepper should all be combined in a bowl with the other ingredients. After that, put it in a baking dish that has been oiled, spread it out as evenly as you can, and then drizzle some olive oil on top. The top layer of boulangére potatoes can actually have some really sophisticated finishes, but I prefer the messier, slightly more natural appearance because I take a more "rustic" approach to life. You will be met with the most gorgeous potato side after baking this at 180 degrees Celsius for one hour. It was delicious and truly beautiful.
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GREEN BEAN TWIST
INGREDIENTS
1 pack of green beans, topped and tailed
1 feta cheese round
1 tablespoon of pomegranates
HOW TO:
As was already said, green beans can be steamed or blanched; however, in either case, they must not be overcooked or they will disintegrate and become mush. If you're going to blanch them, you'll need to bring a pot of water to a boil, add the beans once it's boiling, turn off the heat, and let the beans sit in the water until the boiling stops, which should happen quite quickly. They should be taken out of the water right away and then put in a covered refrigerator. Add the feta crumbles and the pomegranates when you are ready to serve.
You can now prepare your roast because the difficult work has been completed. The oven was preheated to 180 degrees Celsius because I had already prepared the boulangére potatoes. So the roast only needed to be prepared and cooked.
THE ROAST
INGREDIENTS
Approx. 1.6kg leg of lamb
The already-prepared rub
1 onion
2 bay leaves
400ml of chicken stock
HOW TO:
Add the chopped onion, two bay leaves, and 400 ml of chicken stock to the bottom of a roasting pan. For the rub to crisp up properly, cook for one hour with the cover on and then another 30 minutes without it. After removing the roast from the oven, give it about 15 minutes to cool. It's also crucial to keep in mind that the roast should be taken out of the fridge at least two hours before cooking so it can acclimate to room temperature and cook more evenly.
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I enjoy a fairly rare roast, however, I was preoccupied with taking a bath, etc., and did not take it out of the oven when I should have so it was not quite as pink as I would have liked!
The trio worked incredibly well together, I must say! Jude was content, and if I can impress my son, I will be content. However, at the dinner table, he did offer me one piece of advice: the potatoes would have been better with bacon! Despite my repeated encouragement, he continues to be what I call a "separate eater," which is a chef's worst nightmare because you never get to experience the full flavor profile. He agreed and continued to eat everything separately, but I had to remind him that it was a side, not a main. - perhaps in time, perhaps in time... It was fantastic and I would recommend giving it a try for your next Sunday family feast!
❤❤❤
Until next time...
Much Love from Country Bumpkinland, South Africa xxx
Jaynielea
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Oh WOW!
I think this is something my family would love. Some of the ingredients alone are preferred foods and snacks. Looks so colourful and nutritious and delicious!
Will have to try!
Great to see you posting and communitying again too!
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