Roast Leg of Lamb with Vegetables & Mango, Mint & Chilli Mojo

One of our greatest pleasures in life is cooking at home for family and friends. I’m really delighted to launch the new “at home with …” series on Inside Cuisine with a recipe from one of our favourite Aussie blokes, international Chef Luke Mangan.

When I asked him recently, over a coffee at glass restaurant Sydney, about his approach to food at home, he said that its all about sharing. I’m with him on that! When you’re cooking for family and friends there is nothing better than having the food in the middle of the table on platters and passing the food around.

Here Luke kindly shares a recipe from his stunning new cookbook At Home & in the Mood.

Roast Leg of Lam with Vegetables & Mango, Mint & Chilli Mojo

2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
3g (½ tsp) cracked black pepper
finely grated lemon rind from ½ lemon
5g (1 tsp) chopped fresh thyme
15g (1 tbsp) chopped rosemary
5g (1 tsp) sea salt
15ml (1 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
2.5-3kg leg of lamb

Mirepoix of vegetables

1 leek, white part only, chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 stick celery, roughly chopped
3 mushrooms, chopped
4 garlic cloves
1 cup (250ml) water
15g (1 tbsp) tomato paste
10g (2 tsp) plain/all purpose flour
115ml (½ cup) red wine
235ml (1 cup) stock

Mint and Chilli Mojo

2 ripe mangoes
1 small red onion, finely chopped
juice of 1 lime
30g (2 tbsp) chopped fresh mint
2 red chillies, seeded and chopped
sea salt and crashed black pepper
pinch of sugar, if required

Preheat the oven to 170C (330F).

Place the crushed garlic, pepper, lemon rind, thyme, rosemary and salt into a mortar and pestle and pound to make a paste, adding a little olive oil at a time, until smooth and fine. Rub this paste all over the leg of lamb.

Place the mirepoix vegetables in a roasting pan with the water. Sit the lamb in the pan. Sprinkle with olive oil and place in the oven for 1½ – 2 hours, depending on how you like the lamb cooked.

Check the vegetables occasionally to make sure there is always a little water in the pan so that the vegetables don’t burn.

Turn off the oven and remove the roasting pan. Transfer the lamb onto a warmed platter, cover loosely with foil to keep warm and leave to rest.

Place the roasting pan with mirepoix on the stovetop and stir while cooking until all the liquid has evaporated. Brown the mirepoix, then add the tomato paste while continuing to stir and cook for a few minutes. Quickly stir in the flour and cook for another minute. Add the red wine and simmer for a further few minutes, then add the stock. Bring to the boil and gently simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce by half. Strain the sauce through a strainer and pour into a sauce boat or container.

To make the mojo, place the mango flesh in a bowl and crush the mango with a fork, until the flesh is all broken up. Add all the other ingredients and season to taste.

Carve the lamb and put the slices over the roasted vegetables (see below), pour sauce and serve with the Mango, Mint and Chilli Mojo.

Roasted Vegetables

4 large potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into quarters (red pontiacs are good roasters)
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
½ butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
2 small white turnips, quartered
45ml (3 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
6 small baby onions, peeled, left whole if small, halved if larger
6 garlic cloves
1 bunch fresh asparagus, peeled and trimmed
1 large field mushroom, stemmed and cut into 8 wedges
30g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, diced
30ml (2 tbsp) white wine or verjuice
4 basil leaves, sliced
5g (1tsp) thyme leaves
5g (1 tsp) rosemary, chopped
5g (1tsp) chopped sage
15g (1tbsp) chopped chives
15g (1tbsp) chopped flat-leafed parsley, leaves

Preheat the oven to 190C (375F).

In a large bowl place potatoes, parsnips, carrots, pumpkin, turnips, some salt and pepper. Add half the olive oil and toss well to coat the vegetables with oil.

Arrange the vegetables on a large roasting pan and roast in the oven for 20 minutes, occasionally moving and tossing the vegetables with a spatula or wooden spoon to get an even colour.

Meanwhile, in a bowl place the onions, garlic cloves, asparagus and mushroom with the balance of the olive oil. Add a little salt and pepper and toss again. Add to the roasting pan and gently stir to combine all the vegetables together. Return to the oven and continue roasting for 10-12 minutes.

Add the butter over the vegetables and spinkle over with the white wine or verjuice and all the herbs. Toss and roast for a further 3-4 minutes.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven and use a slotted spoon to arrange the vegetables on a large platter, pushing them to the edge to create a space in the middle for the leg of lamb. Place the lamb in the centre and serve with the mojo on the side.

Luke’s mate Dean Cambray took the photo above and all the stunning photos in the book at Luke’s home in Kangaroo Valley NSW Australia.

In the preface, Michel Roux (The Waterside Inn) says of At Home & in the Mood “… Each recipe has its own photo expressing further Luke’s approach that food should be fresh, honest and uncomplicated.”

At Home & in the Mood is published by New Holland, and available from next week in all good bookstores.

And you can follow Luke Mangan on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lukemangan