Ingredients:
5 lb Lamb, leg of lamb
-----------------------------------SAUCE-----------------------------------
2 oz Almonds, blanched
1/2 lb Onions, coarsely chopped
8 Garlic cloves, peeled
4 Cubes ginger, 1", peeled
;chopped coarsely
4 Green chillies, chopped
20 fl Yoghurt, plain
2 tb Cumin seed, ground
4 ts Coriander seed, ground
1/2 ts Cayenne pepper
3 1/2 ts Salt
1/2 ts Garam masala
6 tb Vegetable oil
1/2 ts Whole cloves
16 Cardamom pods
1 Cinnamon stick, 2" long
10 Peppercorns, black
----------------------------------GARNISH----------------------------------
4 tb Sultana raisins
1/2 oz Almonds, blanched, slivered
Method:
1-Make sure that all the fat has been trimmed from the
outside of the leg n that most of the fell
(parchment-like white skin) has been pulled off. Put the
leg in a baking dish made, preferably, of pyrex or
stainless steel.
2-Put the 2 oz. almonds, onions, garlic, ginger, green
chilies, and 3 tablespoons of the yoghurt into the
container of a food processor or blender and blend until
you have a paste. Put the remaining yoghurt into a bowl.
3-Beat lightly with a fork or a whisk until it is smooth
and creamy. Add the paste from the processor, the cumin,
coriander, cayenne, salt and garam masala.
4-Mix. Push some of the spice paste into all the
openings in the lamb. Be quite generous. (I forgot to
say, you need to ask the butcher to make a deep pocket
to hold a "stuffing", in this case, some spice paste
mixture, or make a pocket yourself) Spread the paste
evenly on the underside of the leg (the side that
originally had less fat.) Now, using a small, sharp,
pointed knife make deep slashes in the meat, and push in
the spice paste with your fingers.
5-Turn the leg over so its outer side (the side that was
once covered with fat) is on the top. Spread a very
thick layer of paste over it. Again, make deep slashes
with the knife and push the spice paste into the
slashes. Pour all the remaining spice paste over and
around the meat. Cover with plastic cling film and
refrigerate for 24 hours. Take the baking dish with the
meat out of the refrigerator and let the meat come to
room temperature. Remove the cling film.
6-Heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium
flame. When hot, put in the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon
and peppercorns. When the cloves swell - this takes just
a few seconds - pour the hot oil and spices over the leg
of lamb. (I found the spices jumped and splattered in
the oil quite a lot - make sure your arms and counter
are well protected) Preheat the oven gas mark 6, 400 F.
Cover the baking dish tightly either with its own lid or
with a large piece of aluminum foil.
7-Bake, covered, for 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove the foil
and bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Baste 3-4 times with
the sauce during this period. Scatter, or arrange in a
pattern, the sultanas and the 1/2 oz. almonds over the
top of the leg and bake for another 5-6 minutes.
8-Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it sit in
a warm place for 15 minutes. Take the leg out of the pan
and set it on a warm platter. Spoon off all the fat from
the top of the sauce. Use a slotted spoon and fish out
all the whole spice in the sauce. Discard the spices.
Pour the sauce around the leg.
Serve the sauce separately, in a gravy boat. It's yummy,
yummy in my tummy!