Rolled Lamb Roast with Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:

Rolled Roast Lamb
  • 1 - 1.3kg rolled lamb roast
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil + extra for rubbing over roast
  • 1 red onion, cut into eights, finely sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary, plus handful extra sprigs
  • 2 tablespoons capers, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt 750g potatoes, cut into small pieces
Brussel Sprouts:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, quartered, finely sliced
  • 150g bacon, streaky thinly sliced
  • 600g Brussel sprouts, ends trimmed, halved
  • ½ cup water
  • 70 hazelnuts, roasted, skins removed, roughly chopped

Method:

ROLLED LAMB ROAST

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C on fan bake. Remove from the lamb from the fridge to come to room temperature while you prepare the onion mixture.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium high heat and fry the onion and garlic until soft and translucent. Remove from the heat. Zest the lemon and add the zest to the onions along with the parsley, rosemary, capers, salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Mix well.

Remove the lamb from the packaging and cut off the netting. Open the lamb out and put onto a clean bench. Press the onion mixture over the internal surface of the lamb then tie tightly with jute twine to secure. Rub with extra olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Cut the lemons into slices and arrange in the bottom of an oven-proof dish, big enough to fit the lamb and the potatoes. Arrange the rosemary sprigs on top of the lemons and then sit the lamb on top of this. Put the potatoes into a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, mix well then arrange around the lamb.

Put into the oven and roast for 20 minutes then turn down the heat to 160°C and continue to cook for 20 minutes per 500g lamb. This will result in your lamb being medium rare. If you have a meat thermometer then do use this. The meat will reach an internal temperature of 60°C when cooked. Remove from the oven and loosely cover with foil and leave for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying-pan over a medium high heat and fry the onion for 20 minutes or so or until caramelised. Spoon the onions out into a salad bowl and return the pan to the heat.

Fry the bacon until crispy then remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and put into a small bowl. Tip the majority of the bacon fat out of the pan, retaining about 2 tablespoons.


Add the Brussel sprouts and cook until browned then add the water, put on a lid (we used the lid off our stock pot) and cook for 4 or 5 minutes until cooked through. To test this, insert a sharp knife into a Brussel sprout. It will slide in easily if cooked. Tip the Brussel sprouts into the salad bowl along with the onions and mix well. Sprinkle with the bacon and hazelnuts.

Serve the Brussel sprouts along with the roast lamb and potatoes.