September 12, 2017
So this week has been super busy with us moving, and we haven’t had much time in the kitchen. This is good for the most part, because we have now moved most of our cooking utensils across to our new place, so even if I wanted to I wouldn’t be able to do much cooking! This became particularly aparent when I went to make some banana bread, and then realised I had moved all my flour, sugar and baking powder already, so wouldn’t be doing any baking! Guess this means it’s time for my KitchenAid to make the big move.
Before we moved, I decided to have one last go of the slow cooker in our old place. We were at the markets on the weekend and grabbed a lamb leg, and I decided it would be a perfect solution for us to have one night to save on cooking time. The awesome thing about slow cooking is that you come home to a delicious meal already cooked and ready to go. Even though there is a bit of prep work, it is so worth it to come home to a house that smells so amazing! The bad thing about slow cooking is that you spend the whole day dreaming about what you’re going to come home to, which makes your Monday go so painfully slow! But once again, I can think of worse problems to have.
I decided to try a new recipe for my slow cooking, and it was so good that I wanted to share it with you all. Normally I don’t have mint on hand (our mint bush had a rather untimely demise…RIP mint bush), but because of Father’s Day I had a nice big bunch in the fridge just waiting to be used. Mint goes so well with lamb and so I figured I would try using it in this recipe. It worked out so well, and is probably one of my favourite things I’ve made using the slow cooker, I feel like the flavour combination just worked so well. It definitely made my Monday a million times better, and when you’re moving, you need a few small wins to get you through!
- 1 kilo boneless lamb leg
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh rosemary, stems removed
- 4 cloves garlic
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup vegetable stock
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in a food processor, combine the mint leaves, fresh rosemary, garlic and 1 tablespoon of olive oil until finely diced.
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Place the lamb leg on a chopping board, and sprinkle with salt and pepper on either side. Rub the mint and rosemary mixture over it, until it is completely covered on each side.
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Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a fry pan on a medium heat. When the oil is hot, place the lamb leg in the fry pan, and seal on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. The meat should be slightly browned over the entire leg.
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When the lamb leg is sealed, place in the slow cooker. Pour the juices from the fry pan over the top, as well as the vegetable stock. Place the lid on, and turn on to a low heat for 8 hours.
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After 8 hours, preheat your oven to 200C (400F). Place the lamb in a baking tray, and cover with foil. Place in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the lamb crisps on the top slightly.
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Meanwhile, place the juices from the slow cookers in a saucepan over a low heat. Add about a cup of water, and allow to come to a boil, then simmering for about 20 minutes.
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Remove the lamb from the oven and allow to rest in the foil for about 10 minutes.
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To serve: cut the lamb into equal portions and serve with vegetables of your choice. Pour some of the juice from the pan over the top.
Although there are a few steps in this, I promise it is totally worth it for how delicious your dinner is going to be! The lamb was so great after it came out of the oven, so waiting that little bit longer to get a nice crisp on the top of the lamb is something I highly recommend. Plus, when you think about how long it takes to cook something in full when you get home from work, this really isn’t that bad! Just a little bit of set up in the morning and then the slow cooker pretty much does it all for you!
This dish was absolutely delicious, honestly one of the best things I’ve made in the slow cooker. The flavours of the mint worked really well with the lamb, and of course the garlic and rosemary helped too! It was a flavour sensation, and made the house smell so good! Although it felt like a long day of fantasising about my dinner, the main event definitely lived up to expectations!
In terms of what you put it with, I made a simple salad to go with this to keep it fresh. Sometimes it’s nice having something raw with something slow roasted, as it cuts through the richness in the meat. I also made some zhucchini noodles to go with it, for no other reason other than I had some on hand and had never used my spiraliser. Now I can safely say it is one of my favourite utensils in my kitchen! Sadly it’s already at the new place, so I will have to give it a break for a week. If you don’t want to have a salad, you could easily go with some potatoes or roasted vegetables.
I’ll definitely be trying this one again when I’m in our new kitchen, I can’t wait!
Until next time, happy eating!
Ella xx
