Aromatic Roast Leg of Lamb- Fakhidh fil Furn

Among the Arabs, lamb is the king of meat. Everyone’s favorite, it is the meat most offered to honored guests. The leg is the most cherished part of the animal and to offer it to guests is a noble act by the host. There must be hundreds of ways to roast legs of lamb but I’m partial to this Saudi Arabian method, which creates tasty and tender meat, thanks to the addition of yogurt.

SERVES: 6

PREP TIME: 1 hour 10 minutes

REFRIGERATION TIME: 1 hour

STANDING TIME: 1 hour

ROASTING TIME: 2 hours and 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• /2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
• One 4 to 5-lb (1.75 to 2.25-kg) bone-in leg of lamb (butt portion) or 3 lbs (1.5 kg) boneless leg of lamb, scored in a number of places with 1-inch (2.5-cm)-deep cuts
• 1 cup (250 g) store-bought or Homemade Plain Yogurt
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon Arabian Gulf Spice Mix (Baharat)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
• Generous pinch of saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup (250 ml) hot water
• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) warm water
• 1/2 cup (75 g) blanched whole almonds, toasted, for garnishing

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix the cardamom, cinnamon, and half of the garlic in a bowl. Rub the mixture into the cuts in the leg of lamb. Coat the entire leg of lamb with yogurt and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. In another bowl, mix the remaining half of the garlic, lemon juice, salt, Arabian Gulf Spice Mix, black pepper, ground red pepper, and dissolved saffron. Coat the leg of lamb with this spice mixture and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
3. Place the leg of lamb in a medium casserole dish. Pour the oil and hot water around the lamb in the bottom of the casserole.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
5. Make a dough by combining the flour and about 1/2 cup (125 ml) of warm water, or enough to form a dough similar to bread dough. Roll out the dough to slightly larger than the size of the casserole. Place the dough over the top of the casserole and press it firmly around the edges to seal it.
6. Roast the lamb in the preheated oven for 2 hours. Remove the dough and discard (be cautious as hot steam will escape). Return the lamb to the oven and broil until browned.
7. Transfer the roasted lamb to a serving platter and garnish with toasted almonds. Optionally, serve with oven-baked or deep-fried potato wedges around the meat.