Saltbush Lamb with Fondant Potatoes, Asparagus and Beans
Ingredients
8 small desiree potatoes, peeled
500ml vegetable or chicken stock
1 teaspoon , finely chopped fresh parsley
50g butter
ground white pepper
500g sweet potato, cut into 3cm pieces
olive oil, to drizzle
16 green beans, 4 per bundle
16 asparagus spears, 4 per bundle
4 garlic chives
Roast lamb
1 shoulder of Saltbush lamb
sea salt
olive oil, to drizzle
350ml cabernet red wine
200ml chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks, halved
1 x 455g tin chopped tomatoes
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Saltbush lamb is so called because the animals are fed on the native Saltbush. If unavailable, you can use regular lamb.
You can still make this dish if you are not camping. Cook lamb, covered tightly, in a 220°C oven for 30 minutes, then reduce to 180°C and cook, basting occasionally, for about 3 hours or until very tender.
When tying vegetable bundles with chives, it is sometimes easier to briefly blanch the chives to make them more pliable.
Use the leftover lamb bones to make a delicious stock – it makes a great base for soups and stews.
Recipe
- Prepare the camp oven at least 4 hours before you need to start cooking. Consider fire safety at this time. Dig a 3 feet-deep by 3 feet-round pit, ensuring the outer area is clear for you to work safely. Prepare and light the fire. When the fire is burning satisfactorily you may begin cooking.
- To prepare the lamb, season with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Place in a lidded flameproof cooking pot. Add remaining ingredients. Using a spade, carefully place pot onto the centre of the fire. Gather the hot coals up the sides and top of the oven to ensure even cooking, you will need to cook the lamb, covered for 2-3 hours checking every 30 minutes to ensure cooking liquid has not evaporated and lamb is not burning on the base. Add extra stock or remove coals if necessary.
- Once cooked, remove from coals. Stand 10 minutes. Remove lamb from pot and slice thickly.
- Place stock and potatoes in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil and cook until tender. Drain. Return potatoes to saucepan with parsley and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Cover to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, pre heat your oven to 180°C.
- Drizzle the sweet potato lightly with olive oil and season well. Place onto a baking paper lined baking tray. Roast for 35 minutes or until cooked through and golden.
- To prepare the beans and asparagus, make little bundles of the vegetables and tie with garlic chives. In a large steamer pot, boil the water before adding the vegetables in the steamer rack. Steam until just cooked. Remove and season with salt and pepper. Toss with butter.
- Divide the lamb over four plates. Serve with potatoes, sweet potatoes and steamed green vegetables. Spoon over the extra juices from the lamb cooking pot.
