Easter Feasting
After what feels like years of sopping wet national holidays (including several significant floods) we celebrated the 4 days of fine Easter weather this year with bonfires, mountain climbs, outdoor bbqing,
and garden dining.
On the food front, the feature meal involved a 3-day marinated 12-hour roasted lamb leg, pistachio & green olive tabbouli, fig & labneh salad, and some homemade naan to mop it all up.
Full moon bonfire...
Griling some zucchini & prosciutto skewers...
Climbing Mount Coolum for sunset viewing & beers...
Then it was home for a feed!
12 Hour Roast Lamb
Marinate at least overnight - 3 days is ideal
12 garlic doves
2 tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted
2 lemons, zested
1 tablespoon sumac
2 x 1.5kg lamb shoulders with foreshank attached, bone in
Lemon cheeks
Preheat oven to 100C. Using a mortar and pestle, grind garlic, cumin, lemon zest, sumac and 1 tbs sea salt flakes to a paste. Score lamb skin and rub lamb with the paste. Place in a greased roasting pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from fridge 50 minutes before cooking. Remove and discard plastic wrap and roast lamb, hasting occasionally with juices, for 12 hours or until browned and sticky. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
Pistachio & green olive tabbouleh
100g coarse burghul
150g green olives, seeded
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
185g (1/3 cups) shelled pistachios, finely chopped
2 garlic doves, crushed
1 lemon, zested, juiced
60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
Meanwhile, to make tabbouleh, stand burghul in a bowl of hot water for 20 minutes. Dram. Using the flat side of a knife blade, press on olives to crush Place in a bowl wkh burghul, herbs, pistachios, garlic and lemon zest" Just before serving, toss with lemon juice and oil, and season with salt and pepper. 4 Using 2 forks, roughly shred lamb. Serve with the tabbouleh and lemon cheeks
Fig & labne salad
8 large figs, stems removed & cut into 1/8ths
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon rose water
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 labne balls, thickly sliced
couple of handfuls of rocket
2 spring onions, white part only, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, toasted, lightly crushed
Combine 1/2 cup of water with sugar and 1 tablespoon of the vinegar in a small saucepan over a medium-high heat. Bring to the boil, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low, add figs and cook for 1 minute. Remove figs gently with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add honey, remaining vinegar, rose water, lemon juice to saucepan and whisk together. Increase heat to medium-high and cook for 7-10 minutes, until thickened, then remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Place figs in a bowl, add labne, rocket, spring onions and fennel and pour over dressing. Toss gently just before serving.
Naan
Makes about 10
1 cup (250ml) milk
1 1/2 teaspoons caster sugar
2 teaspoons (7g) instant dried yeast
550g (3 2/3 cups) plain flour, plus extra for kneading
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup natural yoghurt
1 egg
1 1/2 tablespoons (35ml) oil
Place milk in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until just warm (not too warm, as this will kill the yeart). Remove from heat and whisk in sugar and yeast. Cover and set aside in a warm place for about 10 minutes, until frothy.
Combine flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the yoghurt, egg and oil to the milk mixture and stir to combine. Pour into the well in the flour.
Combine dough ingredients and bring the dough together. The dough should be soft and sticky at this stage. Lightly flour a work surface and knead dough for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Shape dough into a ball and place in a large lighly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave dough in a warm place until doubled in size, 1-1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 180*C. Grease several large oven trays. Punch down the dough to remove air. Divide into 10 portions and roll each into a ball. Use your fingertips and base of your palm to flatten and stretch each ball out to about 3-5mm thick. Bake for about 8 minutes, until naan starts to go golden.
Then to the table...
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