Donald with Goats’ Cheese, Mint & A Zesty Tooth Thucking Vinaigrette (aka A Merry Thucking Christmas)
It’s that time of the year. If you’re lucky enough you may already have received the new 2014 Chops For Tea t-towel — or it’s perhaps on its way to you. If you’ve not got one of our beautifully hand screen printed unautomated dish drying devices then here’s the go for a delicious festive feast.
For Donald (that’s Lamb to you)
2.7kg lamb leg – boned & butterflied
Salt & pepper – freshly ground
Olive oil – for drizzling
Fresh mint – a shearing shed load
Firm goats’ cheese – a half frozen handful (grated ideally)
6 garlic cloves – grated
Rosemary – more than enough
Kitchen string – but how long?
For the vinaigrette (the full on thucking part)
6 tbsp olive oil
More mint – finely chopped
1 lemon – zested and juiced
Salt & pepper
Donald — naked, but dressed (not an oxymoron)
Lots of fresh mint and goats cheese. (We love locally produced Holy Goat’s La Luna). The recipe says grate the cheese — do so — we forgot to stick our cheese in the freezer, doh, so crumbled it. Grated would have been better.
Method
Preheat oven to 220°C. Slap down that leg on a board and open it out. Season with salt and pepper then massage in some oil. Pile on most of the mint leaves, pushing them into the flesh as you go. Grate the goats’ cheese over the top and add the garlic. Give the mix a tumble.
Roll Donald up and tie him with kitchen string at 4cm intervals. Tuck in some rosemary sprigs where you can. Throw more rosemary into a baking tray and lay Don on top. Add some more freshly ground salt and pepper then drizzle with more olive oil.
Roast for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 190°C. Allow 20 minutes per 450g. Remove from the oven and then leave him to rest. He’ll like that.
For the vinaigrette whisk everything in a bowl till emulsified. Serve alongside hearty, thick slices of Donald and crispy tatties.
That tooth thucking vinaigrette (mint sauce on steroids) really adds to your lamby minty cheesy experience.
And we (actually my friend Gilbert who runs a local bottle shop and is a wine aficionado) recommend a drop of Pinot Meunier. A perfect balance for the lamb and goats cheese. And I have to say it’s spot on. Cheers.
PS — We’d also like to point out that our 2014 christmas miracle is getting our xmas email out and this post up on the website BEFORE christmas!
