Title: RAAN MASALEDAR – WHOLE LEG OF LAMB IN A SPICY
Categories: Meats, Main dish, Indian, Lamb
Yield: 6 servings

5 lb Lamb, leg of

———————————–SAUCE———————————–
2 oz Almonds, blanched
1/2 lb Onions, coarsely chopped
8 Garlic cloves, peeled
4 Cubes ginger, 1“, peeled
;chopped coarsely
4 Green chillies, chopped
20 fl Yoghurt, plain
2 tb Cumin seed, ground
4 ts Coriander seed, ground
1/2 ts Cayenne pepper
3 1/2 ts Salt
1/2 ts Garam masala
6 tb Vegetable oil
1/2 ts Whole cloves
16 Cardamom pods
1 Cinnamon stick, 2″ long
10 Peppercorns, black

———————————-GARNISH———————————-
4 tb Sultana raisins
1/2 oz Almonds, blanched, slivered

Make sure that all the fat has been trimmed from the outside of the leg and
that most of the fell (parchment-like white skin) has been pulled off. Put
the leg in a baking dish made, preferably, of pyrex or stainless steel.
Put the 2 oz. almonds, onions, garlic, ginger, green chillies, and 3
tablespoons of the yoghurt into the container of a food processor or
blender
and blend until you have a paste. Put the remaining yoghurt into a bowl.
Beat
lightly with a fork or a whisk until it is smooth and creamy. Add the paste
from the processor, the cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and garam masala.
Mix. Push some of the spice paste into all the openings in the lamb. Be
quite
generous. (I forgot to say, you need to ask the butcher to make a deep
pocket
to hold a ”stuffing", in this case, some spice paste mixture, or make a
pocket yourself) Spread the paste evenly on the underside of the leg (the
side that originally had less fat.) Now, using a small, sharp, pointed
knife
make deep slashes in the meat, and push in the spice paste with your
fingers.
Turn the leg over so its outer side (the side that was once covered with
fat)
is on the top. Spread a very thick layer of paste over it. Again, make deep
slashes with the knife and push the spice paste into the slashes. Pour all
the remaining spice paste over and around the meat. Cover with plastic
cling
film and refrigerate for 24 hours. Take the baking dish with the meat out
of
the refrigerator and let the meat come to room temperature. Remove the
cling
film. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium flame. When hot, put
in the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and peppercorns. When the cloves swell -
this takes just a few seconds – pour the hot oil and spices over the leg of
lamb. (My note: I found the spices jumped and spat in the oil quite a lot -
make sure your arms and counter are well protected) Preheat the oven gas
mark
6, 400 F. Cover the baking dish tightly either with its own lid or with a
large piece of aluminium foil. Bake, covered, for 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove
the foil and bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Baste 3-4 times with the sauce
during this period. Scatter, or arrange in a pattern, the sultanas and the
1/2 oz. almonds over the top of the leg and bake for another 5-6 minutes.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it sit in a warm place for 15
minutes. Take the leg out of the pan and set it on a warm platter. Spoon
off
all the fat from the top of the sauce. Use a slotted spoon and fish out all
the whole spice in the sauce. Discard the spices. Pour the sauce around the
leg. My Notes: I served the sauce separately, in a gravy boat. It is
delicious!

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