Harrisa-Rubbed Butterfly Leg Of Lamb & Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Method

step one Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/ gas 5. Cut off the top third of the garlic bulb so that the cloves can be squeezed out easily once cooked. Wrap tightly in foil and roast for 40–45 minutes or until the bulb feels soft when lightly squeezed. Remove from the oven and leave until cool enough to handle, and then squeeze the garlic pulp into a bowl. Add half the olive oil, the harissa paste and the yoghurt and mix to a smooth paste.

step two Place the lamb in a shallow non- metallic dish. Rub the harissa mixture all over the meat, then cover with clingfilm and chill overnight or leave to stand at room temperature for at least 2–3 hours.

step three Preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/ gas 9. If the lamb has been chilled overnight, bring it back to room temperature, then place, cut-side up, on a rack in a large roasting tin and season with salt. Place the lamb on the bottom shelf of the oven and roast for 15 minutes, then turn it over and roast for another 10 minutes for rare.

step four Meanwhile, toss the sweet potatoes in the remaining oil and season generously, then tip into a separate roasting tin. Place on the top shelf of the oven. The sweet potatoes will take about 18–20 minutes until cooked through and lightly charred. Toss them occasionally to ensure they cook evenly, then remove from the oven and keep warm.

step five Remove the lamb from the oven and transfer to a warm dish, then leave to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes. If you don’t like your lamb too pink you can cover it with foil at this point and it will continue to cook as the juices relax. Carve into slices and arrange on plates with the roasted sweet potatoes to serve.