For weeks I have jealously watched the biggest numbers of hits on Girl Interrupted Eating be for BBQ recipes, getting to grips with the routine of a newborn has not left much time for playing with fire.
Last weekend it was BBQ weather , hot and sunny. Cruelly due to a horrible tummy bug I spent most of it in bed, eating nothing but dry toast and orange ice lollies. So even though this weekend the forcast was for rain I was determined we would be breaking out the Weber.
Obviously I love BBQing quick fix burgers , kebabs or chops over blistering coals. However few years ago we discovered the joy of cooking joints on the BBQ. For easy hands off cooking of joints you need to use indirect heat ; using a lidded BBQ coals are stacked around the edges with the food grilling in the centre usually above a tray of water to catch dripse food ( wood chips can also be added to the water to smoke) . This method of cooking gives a slower cook through allowing a large joint to cook right through while still acheiving that charred-smoked taste of BBQ.
A leg of lamb or shoulder if perfectly suited to this indirect cooking method However if you butterfly a leg joint , by removing the bone , you can cook more quickly directly above the coals – recipe here – this method also has the advantage of making the meat super easy to carve but you lose the impressive looking joint.
With plenty of time on Saturday evening we went for a slow cook. Nick has the brainwave that we could also use the BBQ to make Boulangere Potaotes. Traditionally made in the oven, thinly sliced potatoes and onions are seasoned and layered in a baking tray then covered with stock. The cooking joint of lamb is placed on top of the potatoes , or directly above the potatoes on an oven rack. (Method here) Cooking the lamb and potatoes together allows the cooking juices from the lamb to flavour the potatoes, totally delicious. It worked brilliantly on the BBQ delicious flavoured potatoes soft and silky
textured , with crispy bits at the edges I could have eaten the whole
tray.
on the grill rack, hard vegetables like carrots or beetroot take 30
minutes, softer vegetables broccoli or peas cook in 5 minutes. Don’t
forget to season them with a little salt or pepper
BBQ Leg of Lamb with Boulangere Potatoes
1 leg of lamb approx 1.5kg
Seasoning
2 tbsp of paprika
1 tbsp of cumin
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of chilli flakes
Alternative seasonings : Finely chopped rosemary , thyme and garlic or Indian Spices e.g Garam Masala
Boulangere Potatoes
1kg of potatoes ( or enough ) to fill a roasting dish
250g Onions ( approx 1/4 the volume of the potatoes)
1 pint of vegetable/chicken stock ( enough stock to cover the potatoes)
- Rub the seasoning all over the leg of lamb and leave for at least 4 hours
- Light the BBQ coals.
- Slice the potatoes and onions finely approx 3mm
- Layer in a roasting tin and pour over enough vegetable or chicken stock to just cover the potatoes
- Once the coals have turned grey push them to the sides creating an aisle in the middle of the BBQ place the roasting dish of potatoes in the gap left between the potatoes
- Put the grill rack on the BBQ and put the leg of lamb on the rack above the tray of potatoes
- Put the lid on the BBQ and open the vents
- The leg of lamb should cook in 2 hours , turn the leg over halfway through.
- After you remove the lamb from the BBQ allow it to rest covered with foil for half an hour
This lamb looks out of this world! And you can’t beat boulangere potatoes with a good old roast/bbq!