Two Variations of Roasted Spring Lamb with Orange and Herbs

Hollyhocks

Spring has sprung all over Israel and after a rather sad period in my life, I am basking in the beauty of nature’s bounty. Over the past few weeks, Mr BT and  I have travelled to the north and south of the country visiting dairies, wineries, open markets, flower shows and renewed my spirits and zest for life. I think my father would be a bit annoyed with me for taking so long to post, but I just wasn’t ready until now.

Before Pesach, I bought two 1/4 lambs (shoulder and ribs) which I didn’t have a chance to cook during the holiday, but I found two great opportunities to roast them: the Shabbat after Pesach and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Independence Day). Over the years, I have made some very interesting lamb dishes: some of them from recipes I found and some inventions of my own. These recipes are a collaborative effort between Mr BT and me. Oranges go beautifully with lamb, because they cut the fattiness of the meat, so the first lamb shoulder was marinated in wild and farmed oranges, rosemary, garlic and mustard and the second one was marinated in za’atar, rosemary, garlic, anchovy, and mustard.

I used wild oranges for the first recipe that we collected from trees near where we live. These trees are a natural hybrid that grow wild by the side of the road leading to our village and are sourer than regular oranges, in fact too sour to eat as they are or to drink the juice.

Lamb Shoulder with Oranges, Rosemary and Garlic

Slow Roasted Lamb with Wild Oranges, Rosemary and Garlic
Ingredients
  • 1 quarter lamb shoulder and ribs, approximately 6-7 kilos (13 - 15 lbs)
  • 2 medium farmed oranges quartered
  • 3 medium wild oranges or 3 large lemons quartered
  • 1 head of fresh garlic if available or regular garlic
  • 2 heaping tablespoons seedless Dijon mustard
  • 2 large sprigs fresh rosemary leaves only
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
  1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is still slightly chunky. Do not puree.
  2. Place the lamb in a roasting pan and marinate it for 2 hours, turning it over after one hour.
  3. Cover the lamb with aluminum foil and put in a preheated 150C (300F) oven for approximately 6 hours or until the meat is fork-tender.

On Yom Hatzmaut, we brought the second lamb dish to our friends Cassia and Massimo’s house. Massimo is a Florentine who is also an avid cook and wine lover in true Italian and Florentine fashion. He makes delicious jams, the best limoncello I have every had, and his pasta dishes would make all Italians cry with joy. I will post more about this dinner in my next post. Mr BT and I always enjoy travelling around Israel with them looking for interesting food places to visit and just hanging out.

Slow-Roasted Lamb with Wild Oranges, Za'aatar and Anchovies

Slow-Roasted Lamb with Orange, Za'aatar and Anchovies
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Author: Baroness Tapuzina
Ingredients
  • 1 quarter lamb shoulder and ribs, approximately 6-7 kilos (13 - 15 lbs)
  • 1-/12 heads of fresh garlic if available or regular garlic
  • 3 tablespoons of fresh za'atar or fresh oregano
  • 1 small jar anchovy fillets in olive oil
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 3 heaping tablespoons seedless Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 3 large sprigs fresh rosemary leaves only
  • Juice of 3 medium oranges
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
  1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is still slightly chunky. Do not puree.
  2. Place the lamb in a roasting pan and marinate it for 4hours, turning it over after 2 hours.
  3. Cover the lamb with aluminum foil and put in a preheated 150C (300F) oven for approximately 1-1/2 hours and then 120C for 6 hours (I cooked it overnight) or until the meat is fork-tender.