Turn a good weekend into a great one with a succulent lamb roast, vegies and a delicious cake.
ROAST LAMB LEG WITH APRICOT AND MINT STUFFING
An easy-carve lamb leg is ideal for the keen home cook – it lets you look totally professional with a minimum of fuss.
SERVES 6
12 fresh apricots
¼ cup gin
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbsp raw sugar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 slices day-old sourdough bread, torn
1 bunch mint, leaves finely chopped
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 easy-carve lamb leg (about 1.4kg)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
mustard and crusty bread, to serve
Preheat oven to 190°C. Split apricots in half, remove and discard stones, then combine in a small saucepan with gin, nutmeg, sugar and vinegar. Simmer gently for 20 minutes until apricots have softened and mixture is starting to thicken. Transfer apricot mix to food processor, add bread and pulse until coarse. Set aside to cool, then fold in mint and sunflower seeds.
Season lamb inside and out with salt and pepper, then press apricot mixture into cavity and secure with lengths of butcher's twine. Rub with olive oil, then bake for 40 minutes until medium. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes, then carve and serve with mustard and crusty bread.
MIXED BEANS WITH GOAT'S CHEESE
You'll need to track down the pumpkin-seed oil (try good health-food stores), but it's worth the effort, as its earthy flavour is the ideal contrast to the sharp cheese.
SERVES 4
300g green beans, trimmed
300g yellow beans, trimmed
1 tbsp pumpkin-seed oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
½ bunch chives, snipped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g aged goat's cheese, crumbled or grated (see cook's note)
Place beans in a steamer basket and steam over a saucepan of simmering water for 4 minutes until tender. Refresh under cold running water, then drain well. Place beans in a large bowl with pumpkin-seed oil, vinegar and chives, and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss, then serve topped with the goat's cheese.
Cook's note: Chabichou, from France's Loire valley, is one of the most famous aged goat's cheeses. It is usually available from good cheese specialists
CINNAMON STREUSEL CAKE
This cake's a cracker. Five minutes to prepare, half an hour to cook, and it always turns out perfectly. You can also play around with the spices a bit if you like.
SERVES 10
185g unsalted butter, softened
320g dark brown sugar
2 eggs
130g self-raising flour
55g cornflour
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
125g sour cream
50g plain flour
1 tsp mixed spice
60g walnuts, finely chopped
20g shredded coconut
double cream and marinated berries, to serve
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 22cm round cake tin with baking paper. Combine 135g butter and 275g sugar in bowl of an electric mixer, then beat on high speed with paddle attachment for 3 minutes until very light and creamy. Beat in eggs. Sift in self-raising flour, cornflour and cinnamon, then mix gently. Stir in sour cream. Spoon into prepared cake tin.
Combine plain flour with remaining butter and sugar, mixed spice, walnuts and coconut. Rub well until crumbly, then scatter on top of cake batter. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted in centre of cake comes out clean. Cool in tin for 5 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with double cream and marinated berries.
Photography: John Paul Urizar. Styling: Matt Page. Recipes from The Food Clock: A Year of Cooking Seasonally by Fast Ed Halmagyi (HarperCollins, $40).
From: Sunday Life
