Ingredients:
- 40g cumin seeds
- 2 whole garlic bulbs
- 2 tablespoons sumac
- 3 lemons, zested
- 2 tablespoons sea salt flakes
- 2.4kg lamb leg, shank end detached
- 200g pistachio kernels
- 100g coarse burghul
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup mint leaves, coarsely chopped
- 150g Sicilian green olives, pitted, crushed
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 lemon, finely grated rind and juiced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Method:
- Dry roast cumin seeds, cool slightly, then coarsely pound in a mortar and pestle and set aside. Pound garlic in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of sea salt until a course paste forms, add cumin seeds, sumac, lemon rind and sea salt flakes and grind until a paste forms.
- Score lamb with a sharp knife and rub garlic paste over lamb. Place in an airtight non-reactive container and refrigerate to marinate for 2 days.
- Preheat oven to 110 degrees Celsius.
- Transfer lamb to a roasting pan and roast, basting occasionally, until the meat falls from the bone and the outside is golden brown and sticky (approximately 12 hours). Remove from oven and keep warm.
- For green olive tabouleh, increase oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
- Scatter pistachios on an oven tray and roast for 4 to 6 minutes until golden. Cool, then coarsely crush and set aside in a large bowl. Meanwhile, place burghul in a bowl, cover completely with warm water and stand for 30 to 40 minutes until tender. Drain well, add to pistachios with remaining ingredients, season to taste.
- Serve with duck fat potatoes or your favourite sides.
