LAMB WITH SOURDOUGH, BASIL & MACADAMIA PESTO
SERVES 6-8
400g white sourdough, crusts removed and discarded, bread torn into
1cm pieces
3/4 cup (180ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle 1 bunch basil, thick stalks removed and discarded, leaves chopped
1/ 2 cup (75g) roasted macadamias 4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/ 2 cup (40g) finely grated parmesan Zest and juice of 1 lemon 3kg easy-carve lamb leg (ask your butcher to leave untied so you can add stuffing – substitute 3kg boneless lamb leg)
1/4 cup (60ml) sherry vinegar
2 tbs caster sugar
1 small red onion, thinly sliced into rings
1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds
1/ 2 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a large oven tray and line with baking paper. Place sourdough on prepared tray. Drizzle with oil and season to taste. Bake, tossing occasionally, for 12-15 minutes until golden and crisp, then transfer to a bowl.
Meanwhile, to make the pesto stuffing, place the basil, macadamias, garlic, parmesan and oil in a blender and whiz until pureed. Season to taste, add lemon zest and juice and pulse until combined. Spoon pesto over croutons and toss to combine. Season to taste and stand for 1 hour at room temperature to marinate and slightly soften the croutons.
Increase oven to 220°C. Place the lamb on a chopping board. Place as much macadamia pesto stuffing as you can in the middle of the leg then roll lamb to enclose stuffing. Cut 8 pieces of kitchen string long enough to tie the lamb. Lay the string at even intervals on the bench. Place the rolled lamb onto the string. Bring up each piece of string and tie a knot to secure the lamb firmly so that it holds its shape during cooking. Place lamb on a wire rack in a deep roasting pan.
Roast for 1 hour 15 minutes for medium or until cooked to your liking. Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and rest for 20-25 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, place the vinegar and sugar in a large non-reactive bowl and stir to dissolve sugar. Add the onion and cucumber to the pickling liquid and toss to combine. Set aside for 15 minutes to pickle. Place lamb on a large platter and serve with pickled onion and cucumbers alongside, sprinkled with parsley.