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Slow-Roasted Leg of Lamb over Saffron Cilantro Rice with Raisins & Almonds

Once in a while, I’ll roast an entire leg of lamb. I end up with a lot of lamb leftover. There are worse problems to have.
This recipe incorporates some Middle Eastern flavors and ingredients.

Ingredients

For the Slow-Roasted Leg of Lamb:

  • 1 boneless leg of lamb, (about 4-5 lbs)
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 cloves of garlic, (roughly chopped)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground green cardamom
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
  • 1.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 10 fresh mint leaves, (or about 3 Tbsp, finely chopped)
  • 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, (finely chopped)
  • 2 small hot fresh chiles, (very finely minced)
  • ½ clove garlic, (very finely minced)
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

For the Saffron Cilantro Rice with Raisins & Almonds:

  • 1 shallot, (finely minced)
  • 2 Tbsp salted butter
  • 1.5 cups Basmati rice, (rinsed under cold water for 3-5 minutes)
  • 2.25 cups cups water ((or 2 cups if you prefer a drier finished rice product))
  • 20 saffron threads, (or about 2 tsp)
  • ½ cup dried raisins, (plumped in hot water for 10 minutes and drained)
  • ½ cup slivered almonds, (lightly toasted)
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, (finely sliced)

Instructions 

For the Slow-Roasted Leg of Lamb:

  • Preheat the oven to 315F.
  • In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, pepper, and salt.
  • Mix to combine.
  • Rub the spice mixture all over the lamb, making sure to get it into all the crevices.
  • Place the lamb on a roasting rack in a roasting pan.
  • Roast the lamb at 315F for about 4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the lamb reaches 145F.
  • Remove the lamb from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
  • *If you prefer to brown the meat after roasting, cook the leg a bit less in the oven, and quickly brown the leg of lamb in a large saute pan on the stove with hot vegetable oil after you remove it from the oven.
  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the mint, parsley, chiles and garlic with the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and kosher salt.
  • Mix to combine.
  • Add some freshly-ground black pepper, if desired.
  • Set the herb sauce and roasted lamb aside for whenever the rice is done cooking and you are ready to serve.

For the Saffron Cilantro Rice with Raisins & Almonds:

  • While the lamb is roasting, rinse your basmati rice for 3-5 minutes under cold water, changing the water every 30 seconds.
  • Drain the rice and set aside for later.
  • Add 2 Tbsp butter and the minced shallot to your rice cooking pot on the stove, and turn the heat to medium-low.
  • Add the lid and gently sweat the shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the shallots are translucent and almost tender.
  • Add the 1.5 cups of Basmati rice and the 2.25 cups water to the rice cooking pot with the shallots and butter.
  • Add the saffron, and gently stir to mix in with the rice.
  • Increase the heat to high.
  • When the water begins to simmer, cover the pot tightly with a lid and reduce the heat to low.
  • Cook on low heat, without removing the lid, for an additional 15 minutes.
  • While the rice is cooking, plump your raisins in hot water for 10 minutes and drain them.
  • Lightly toast your slivered almonds and set aside.
  • Chop your fresh cilantro and set aside.
  • When the rice has cooked for 15 minutes, remove from heat and remove lid.
  • Quickly add the plumped raisins, toasted slivered almonds, and chopped cilantro and fluff the rice gently with a fork to incorporate the ingredients together.
  • *Try to avoid stirring the rice or overmixing the rice at this stage.
  • Cover the rice again with a lid and allow to sit off the heat for an additional 5-7 minutes.
  • When the lamb is tender and the rice is cooked, you are ready to serve.
  • Slice the lamb into sections roughly ¼” thick.
  • Prepare plates or large bowls with a large spoonful of rice on the bottom.
  • Add the slices of lamb to each serving, on top of the rice.
  • Top the lamb with any remaining fresh chopped mint or cilantro you have leftover.
  • Add a spoonful or two of the herb sauce you made earlier that contains mint, parsley, chiles, and garlic.

Notes

This might also be nice with a scoop of Tzatziki sauce or Greek yogurt on the side.
This dish will still taste good when re-heated as leftovers.