Langeberg Lamb

Although I normally prepare this for a braai, it can also be roasted in the oven. As delicious as lamb is, it’s always even more delectable if marinated with sumptuous ingredients. Inspired by a chicken marinade, the recipe for which came from Montagu in the foothills of the Langeberg mountain range in the Cape, South Africa, I have adapted the marinade to suit lamb, for which the area around Montagu is known. Lying at the gateway to the Little Karoo, Montagu is surrounded by greens hills, lush with the succulent grasses that grow the most delicious ‘ou’etjies’, as sheep are known to my family.

Ingredients:

2-3inch joint from the top of the leg of lamb, (I know this as the rump, from which chump chops are cut – others appear to call it the fillet)

For the Marinade:

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3-4 anchovy fillets

60ml olive oil

125ml malt vinegar

125ml red wine

125ml tomato sauce

125ml orange juice

45ml honey

45ml Worcestershire sauce

5ml paprika

15ml fresh rosemary, chopped

1 star anise

10 drops Tabasco

1 lemon, thinly sliced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

For the Gravy:

The reserved marinade.

5ml cornflour, slaked in a small amount of water (if required)

Method:

In olive oil, sauté the onion and garlic over low heat until tender. Add the anchovies and stir until broken down in the oil. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Cool the marinade before adding it to the meat.

Weigh the meat before adding it to the marinade so you can calculate the roasting time. Marinade for at least an hour, more if possible. The longer it’s in the marinade, the more flavour it will have.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190C.

Remove the meat from the marinade and place in a roasting pan. Reserve the marinade to make the gravy. Roast for 20-30 minutes per 500g, plus 15 minutes.

Once done, remove from the oven and rest, covered with tin foil, for 10-15 minutes.

While the lamb is resting, deglaze the roasting pan with a little of the reserved marinade and return the lamb-rich deglazing liquids back into the marinade pan. Remove the lemon slices from the marinade and reduce the remaining liquid over a medium heat until it thickens. If desired, you can add some slaked cornflour to help thicken the gravy.

To braai the joint, place over the hot coals of a kettle braai, cover with the top and braai for about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the size of your joint. Baste with the marinade and turn from time to time to ensure even cooking.