Leg of lamb in the oven
Ingredients for 4 people
1.5 kg whole leg of lamb • 300 g cured sobrassada • 100 g fresh streaky bacon • 1 tbsp lard • 1 tbsp salt • 1 tbsp ground black pepper
Preparation
1. The previous day, place the streaky bacon and sobrassada in the refrigerator to be able to cut them better the next day.
2. Cut the sobrassada in slices, set 100 g aside and then cut the rest in strips, cut the streaky bacon in strips too.
3. Stuff the meat, puncturing it with a sharp knife. Place a piece of sobrassada and one of bacon alternatively in each cut. Salt and pepper each side and keep in refrigerator.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 200º C. Place the rest of the sobrassada at the bottom of the casserole and the leg of lamb on top.
5. Put little pieces of lard over the leg, turn the oven down to 180º C and roast for 40 to 50 minutes in the center of the oven. Remove from oven and leave it to settle before serving
You can serve the leg of lamb in the oven with fried potatoes and a fresh tomato salad. You can either fry the potatoes in deep oil or in a mixture of oil and lard; fry them with cloves of garlic and bay leaves.
Original leg of lamb in the oven recipe from the book Minorca. Cooking and gastronomy. Triangle Postals. Photography: Oriol Aleu
See all recipes de Menorcan cuisine
The traditional cuisine of Menorca is characterised by its rural roots and is based on the Mediterranean diet. Even so, it has successfully integrated the heritage of the different cultures that have left their mark throughout history.
In Minorca you can find two types of lobster, the rock one, smaller and bright red, very tasty because of the food rich in essential elements they consume; and…
Ray is very much appreciated on the island. We normally eat the fins, but the liver is also delicious. When you buy it, ask the fishmonger to cut and peel it…
Although the name of the recipe mentions rice, the main ingredient of the dish is the cracked wheat in a stone mortar. An Arab heritage, typical of Menorca and is traditionally made day of pig slaughter.
Some people prefer cutting the aubergines in halves, boiling them quickly, emptying them and filling them with the mixture of meat and chopped aubergine pulp.
This recipe was made with “crancs peluts”, which nowadays is a protected species of crab. Some people prepare it with “cranca”, spider crab, crushing its guts as it gives a lot of taste to the dish
The cuttlefish liver is the brown bag you find inside the cuttlefish and even though it is not always used, it is the liver which really gives the flavour to this dish.
Minorca is known for her numerous fig trees and the abundance of local varieties (“figaflor”, “coll de dama”, “bordissot”, …). The first one to ripen, at the end of June is “figaflor” the most valued.
One option is to prepare all the vegetables peeled and sliced, and the dish will be more complete. You can finish cooking in the oven, spread as usual.
The pearl onions are the ones called French onions in Spain. To prevent their layers from falling apart, you must peel them carefully and leave the peduncle in which its roots are fixed.
We recommend freezing the octopus and the cuttlefish so they are more tender and do not need to be beaten. Some recommend cooking it first in water with some bay leaves and leaving it to cool down in the same water.
El moniato, o monyaco, és un producte molt consumit a l’illa, i es prepara tant en salat com en múltiples plats dolços, com ara bunyols i púdings. També és habitual preparar aquesta recepta al caliu.
We recommend cutting the chicken in 8 pieces. If you prefer you can buy whole almonds and crush them yourself in the mortar or use a blender with the toasted bread and garlic.
It is very important to strain the cooked pumpkin completely before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients. The oven tray or mould must be shallow.
You can serve this dish with fried potatoes and a fresh tomato salad. You can either fry the potatoes in deep oil or in a mixture of oil and lard; fry them with cloves of garlic and bay leaves.
“De re cibaria” says that the flour should be lightly toasted. To achieve this, toast it in a pan with no liquid, at medium heat and stirring all the time until it gets a light brown colour.