Lamb dish with a difference

Press, 26 July 1989, Page 13

Lamb dish with a difference

Alison Holst’s

Food Facts - A

It is nice to be able to serve a dish which you can tell overseas visitors contains several New Zealand special foods. Kiwi fruit has a tartness which is more noticeable when the fruit is cooked. I would much rather enjoy its subtle acidity with lamb than serve mint sauce, which is anything but subtle. The really important thing to do when you are cooking lamb for yourself or for guests, is to take a few minutes and remove as much of the fat outside the meat as possible. Lamb which is well trimmed is nice served pink. Even if you think you like lamb well cooked, I hope you will try lean lamb served pink, at least once. For about 6 servings you need: 1 leg of lamb i/ 2 cup (125m1) dry white wine. 2 Tbsp butter. 2 cloves garlic, crushed, stock and/or more wine. Stand the well-trimmed lamb in a roastng pan just large enough to hold it.

Heat the wine, butter, and garlic until the butter melts. Pour over the lamb. Roast uncovered, at 165 C allowing 25 to 30 minutes per 500 g, basting every 30 minutes with the wine mixture. Add more liquid (vegetable or meat stock or wine) as it necessary during cooking, so there is always some liquid around the lamb. Removed the cooked leg to the carving dish. Skim the pan juices, dilute with stock, and thicken slightly with cornflour, or make and serve the lamb with Kiwi Sauce. Kiwi Sauce. 2 Kiwi Fruit, chopped or sliced 1 Tbsp butter. % tsp cinnamon. >/ 2 tsp ground ginger. 1 Tbsp orrange juice. 1 tsp tomato paste. Saute the kiwi fruit in the butter with the spices. Add to the softened fruit, the pan juices, the orange juice and tomato paste. Stir to combine, adjust the seasonings, and serve very hot, with lamb.