Name: Roasted lamb with tamarind, coriander and a radish salsa
Ingredients: 2 onions, cut in quarters (270g); 10 garlic cloves, peeled; 100g-120g large green chillies, stems discarded, deseeded if you like less heat; 3 tbsp lime juice (3-4 limes); 60g Thai tamarind paste; 80g fresh coriander (leaves and fine stems); 2.5 kg lamb shoulder, bone in; 2½ tsp ground cumin; 120g golden raisins (or sultanas); Fine sea salt and black pepper; 1 large or 2 small shallots, thinly sliced into rounds on a mandoline (80g); 1 tbsp lime juice (1 lime); 200g radishes, thinly sliced on a mandoline; 30g picked coriander; 2 limes, cut in half

New

Spring Weekend project

Serves 8-10

Prep 25 min

Cook 5hr 10 min

Marinate 3hr or overnight

In this lamb centrepiece, the marinade of tamarind, coriander and lime develops into a glossy sauce which is sweet, sour and rich, thanks to the golden raisins (you can also use sultanas). We add large green chillies here, which are about 10-15 grams each and not too spicy. If you can’t find large chillies, use less of them in your marinade.

Ingredients

2	onions, cut in quarters (270g)
10	garlic cloves, peeled
100g-120g	large green chillies, stems discarded, deseeded if you like less heat
3 tbsp	lime juice (3-4 limes)
60g	Thai tamarind paste
80g	fresh coriander (leaves and fine stems)
2.5 kg	lamb shoulder, bone in
2½ tsp	ground cumin
120g	golden raisins (or sultanas)
	Fine sea salt and black pepper
RADISH SALSA
1 large or 2 small	shallots, thinly sliced into rounds on a mandoline (80g)
1 tbsp	lime juice (1 lime)
200g	radishes, thinly sliced on a mandoline
30g	picked coriander
TO SERVE
2	limes, cut in half

Method

Place a large frying pan on high heat, until red hot. Open a window (this will produce a bit of smoke), place the onions, garlic and chillies in the pan and char for about 8 minutes, using tongs to turn them over, until coloured evenly. Set aside to cool.
Once cool, add everything to a blender, along with the lime juice, tamarind, coriander, 200ml of water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Blitz until smooth.
Rub the lamb with the cumin, 1¾ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Place in a 30cm cast iron pan or a large high sided roasting tray. Cover with the marinade and set aside to marinate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 220C.
Scatter the raisins around the lamb, pour 500ml of water into the side of the pan and cover tightly with a lid or with foil. Roast for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 140C. Continue roasting the lamb for 4 hours, basting 2 or 3 times through the process. Uncover and continue cooking 30 minutes more to brown the lamb. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest, loosely covered in foil, for 10 minutes.
Carefully transfer the juices from the pan into a blender and pulse once or twice, just to emulsify but making sure that some of the raisins are kept intact. Pour everything over the lamb.
While the lamb is in the oven, make the salsa. Place the shallots and lime juice in a bowl with ⅛ teaspoon of salt. Mix gently and set aside for at least 5 minutes. Just before serving, mix in the radishes and coriander.
Serve the lamb in the baking tray or transfer to a platter. Scatter half of the salsa on top and serve the rest in a bowl on the side, alongside the limes.