I’m Loving

While there’s much to love about the Med, there’s a lot to savour on our shores too, says Matt Preston.

Matt Preston loves all things Mediterranean, especially the diet.

THERE IS AN undeniable magic about the Med. This ‘inland sea’ – the name means ‘middle of the land’ – has a hold over us that is about more than the pretty tourist posters. This body of water, and the diverse cultures and countries that live around it, and in it, have other attractions that perhaps add to the allure.

For some of us, it is where we, or our family, are from; our roots and our heritage. For others it’s a bucket-list destination. While some of us have rose-tinted memories of our first solo holidays, and the free-wheelin’ misadventures around the Med.

One of the best things to come from this region is the Mediterranean diet, which consistently comes out as one of the healthiest no matter what fad is currently being peddled. What’s not to love about loads of vegies, fresh fish and red wine? And with nothing really demonised or prohibited. It’s chickpeas and stews, dips and pizza. It’s pasta, vermicelli, pastitso and cous cous and fregola. It’s bitter local greens and bread in all its wonder, fish caught with your own hands, and sheep or goats raised to see you through the winter months with meat, milk or cheese, or all of the above. This is simple food that sings with sunshine, of the grill, and of humble hearths. This is a homegrown cuisine that speaks of ingenuity built from straightened circumstance. Sure, there’s opulence in the cooking of ancient Rome, the caliphates and the Byzantine Empire, but that’s not what leaps to mind.

When I think of the best long lunches I think of portside bistros or beachside tavernas; a succession of cold golden beers; the feel of sand or wet pebbles between your toes…

Our similarities to the Mediterranean involve food and the seaside lifestyle. Many Med ingredients also grow so well, and sustainably, here in Australia – grapes, eggplant, capers, olives, zucchini, tomatoes, all manner of citrus and garlic.

And while Australia might be the driest continent in the world most of us live by the sea. So it is with the Mediterranean – I’m sure many families who had the Med on their doorstep felt at home when they moved here. And while the daily fishing haul in the Med might be declining, our waters still have calamari to catch off the piers and octopus to grill. There’s also the array of fish, some like tuna from the Med. We even now have red prawns on menus – or we did – to make a Sicilian weep for a plate of these beauties from home. Sometimes I find myself thinking that parts of Australia are like the Med 40 years ago: unspoilt, still abundant and with an enviably laid-back pace.

ROASTED LAMB LEG WITH LEMON, OLIVES AND SPRING VEG

SERVES 6

230g pitted green olives, plus extra halved lengthwise, to serve 7-8 anchovy fillets in oil, drained

2 garlic bulbs, cloves separated, 8 cloves peeled

1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice

1/ 2 cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tbs extra

3/4 bunch flat-leaf parsley, plus extra chopped, to serve 2.5kg lamb leg, bone in

2 lemons, sliced into quarters widthwise

11/ 2 cups (375ml) good-quality beef stock

200g green beans, trimmed

4 young pale celery stalks, peeled, cut into 6cm batons

2 large zucchinis, halved lengthwise, cut into rough wedges 150g snow peas, trimmed

150g sugar snap peas, trimmed

Fried capers and steamed chat potatoes, to serve

Preheat oven to 200°C.

To make the olive paste, place the olives, anchovies, peeled garlic, lemon juice and oil in a food processor with half of the parsley, stalks and all. Pulse, scraping down the sides, until a rough paste is formed. Season to taste and set aside.

Season the lamb leg all over. Scatter the lemon and remaining unpeeled garlic cloves in a large roasting pan. Place the lamb on top and roast for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread the olive paste all over the top of the lamb. Roast for a further 30-40 minutes until cooked to your liking. Transfer lamb to a large tray, cover with foil and keep warm until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, to make the roasted garlic sauce, skim off almost all the lamb fat from the roasting pan, reserving pan juices. Taking care of the heat, squeeze out the roasted garlic from their skins (reserving 2 cloves) and the lemon into the pan juices. Strain through a fine sieve into a medium saucepan with the stock. Place over high heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes until reduced by one quarter. Season to taste and keep hot until ready to serve.

Heat a large frypan with extra 2 tbs olive oil over high heat. Add the green beans, celery, zucchini and reserved 2 cloves of roasted garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until beans are just cooked. Set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan half full of salted water to the boil. Cook the snow peas and sugar snap peas for 2 minutes or until just cooked. Strain and add to the warm bean mixture. Season to taste and toss to combine.

Place the leg of lamb on a serving platter and arrange the snow peas, sugar snap peas, green beans and zucchini around the lamb. Scatter with halved olives, crispy capers and extra parsley leaves. Serve with roasted garlic sauce and steamed potatoes.