Looking for a fresh and filling lamb recipe that will put a spring in your step? Welcome the new season with this Tagine-style Butterflied Lamb Leg paired with a crisp carrot, beetroot and mint salad and orange and almond couscous to fill hungry tummies.
Introducing the Star of the Show
The star of this recipe is, of course, the Tagine-style Butterflied Lamb Leg. Offering a fresh source of protein perfect for welcoming spring, the lamb in this recipe is basted with Greek yoghurt, which further enhances the quality of the protein you’ll be getting from your meal while also giving you a calcium boost.
The garlic, coriander and lemon also provide a fantastic dose of antioxidants and can provide a whole host of health benefits alongside their delicious flavours.
We particularly love the fact that lamb can help prevent anaemia, as you’d be surprised by how easy it is to become iron deficient, even when you’re consuming a healthy, balanced diet.
Pro Tip: Make sure you use free-range lamb from Victoria to ensure you get maximum quality and freshness. You can source this from your local free-range butcher.
Keep It Crisp
Incredibly simple, yet full of nutritional value, the carrot, beetroot and mint salad that we suggest serving with your Tagine-style Butterflied Lamb Leg has just four ingredients. Simply toss your carrot, beetroot and mint leaves in a bowl with some baby spinach to add some iron and greenery, and you’ve got the perfect spring-themed side dish.
Top It Off
To help make this dish a little more hearty and really chase away that winter chill, we suggest serving orange and almond couscous alongside your lamb and salad. The Medjool dates are great for stimulating your immune system and provide a fantastic amount of fibre, while the orange packs a punch in terms of vitamin C delivery. Plus, the natural almonds work to look after your bones and give your body much-needed magnesium, while the wholemeal couscous helps keep your heart healthy, can lower your cholesterol and further boost the fibre within this delicious meal.
Why Shop Local?
In addition to helping reduce your carbon footprint, sourcing your ingredients from local providers also helps ensure that you’re getting the best quality possible. This means shopping with independent retailers is great for both your health and the environment, and you may even save some money on your weekly shop as there aren’t as many distractions calling for you to buy them.
Let’s Get Started
Your favourite free-range butcher in Melbourne can provide the star of the show as well as a few other key ingredients for this dish. All other elements can be found at your preferred green grocer or picked fresh from your veggie patch if you have one. The best bit is, this dish takes less than an hour total, so once you get your fresh ingredients home, you’ll be enjoying this delicious taste of spring in next to no time.
Ingredients
- 1 Butterflied lamb leg (approx 1.5kg, trimmed of excess fat)
- 2 wedge Preserved lemon (flesh removed, rind rinsed and chopped)
- 4 clove Garlic
- 1 bunch Coriander
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil (extra virgin)
- 2 tablespoon Greek yoghurt (plus extra to serve)
Carrot, beetroot and mint salad
- 100 gram Baby spinach leaves
- 1 Beetroot (peeled and grated)
- 1 Carrot (peeled and grated)
- ¼ cup Mint leaves
Date, orange and almond couscous
- 1 cup Wholemeal couscous
- 1 Orange (rind zested, then peeled and cut into segments)
- 3 Medjool dates (seed removed, chopped)
- ¼ cup Natural almonds (coarsely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil (extra virgin)
Instructions
- Place lamb leg on a tray while you prepare marinade. Place lemon, garlic, coriander roots and stems and half the leaves, oil and yoghurt in a blender. Process until a paste forms. Spread over lamb. Preheat a bbq to medium high heat and cook for 15 minutes fat side down, then flip and cook for 10 minutes on the other side. Place on a clean tray to rest for 10 minutes, covered loosely with foil. Slice to serve.
- Place washed baby spinach in a large bowl and top with grated beetroot and carrot and mint leaves.
- Place couscous and orange zest in a casserole dish or deep baking tray and pour over 1 ⅓ cups boiling water. Cover with a flat tray and leave for 6 minutes. Scrape with a fork to fluff up the grains, drizzle with oil and toss through the almonds, dates and orange segments. Squeeze the leftover orange peel over the couscous to extract any juice. Top with coriander leaves.
- Serve sliced lamb with couscous and salad, and extra yoghurt and coriander leaves.
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