Flipping through 'Moro The Cookbook' is the best appetite stimulant I know. Everything reads and looks so darned tasty, and interesting, as do the menus and dishes of Spanish restaurants like MoVida or Bar Lourinha in Melbourne. Our heritage of Anglo cooking (at least until the Italians, Greeks, Vietnamese and Lebanese turned up) never looked so dull. Where we might blandly boil or steam green beans, and put up with the squeak, the Spaniards stew them in olive oil and seasonings until tender and delicious.
A simple piece of lamb leg comes alive with garlic, smoked paprika and thyme. Sounds basic enough but when it is grilled over very high heat, to get that great char flavour, just long enough for the meat to remain pink inside, the contrast with a traditional lamb leg roast could not be greater.
How best to cook the meat will be your major concern. It you have mastered the art of the Weber that will give excellent results. Otherwise any other charcoal barbecue will be good. My oven has a fantastic grill in the top that gets very hot. The lamb cooked beautifully. If you don’t have access to a really hot and powerful overhead grill or barbecue, sear the lamb pieces in a hot fry pan and then finish them off in a moderate oven for about 10 minutes. Whatever method of cooking, a rest before carving of at least five minutes is crucial.
The vegetables are delicious. I’ve adapted the dish from a recipe called Poor man’s potatoes but there is nothing impoverished about the flavours. Instead of potatoes I substituted green beans as I particularly like the flavour of long-cooked beans. You need to use quite a lot of olive oil. This can be drained off (just tip the vegetables in to a colander), reserved and used to cook other vegetables.
‘Moro The Cookbook’ is published by Random House, RRP $49.95
Grilled, marinated lamb with stewed vegetables
For the lamb:
1 leg of lamb, skin and fat removed, boned and butterflied – ask your butcher to do this for you
2 tsp very finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped and mashed to a paste
2 tsp, generous, Spanish smoked paprika
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper for cooking
extra olive oil
Cut the butterflied lamb into about four pieces, along the major muscle lines as much as possible.
Mix together the thyme, garlic, smoked paprika, lemon juice, sherry vinegar and black pepper.
Coat the lamb well with the marinade, pour over the olive oil and leave overnight in the fridge if possible. Next day bring the lamb to room temperature. Lightly oil the cooking vessel, add the lamb pieces and season very well. Drizzle with oil. Grill or barbecue for 5-8 minutes per side, depending on the age of the lamb leg. Rest for at least five minutes before carving into thin slices. Serve warm or at room temperature.
For the vegetables:
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 large brown onions, sliced
1 each green and yellow capsicum, seeds and pith removed, sliced
5 cloves garlic, sliced
4 bay leaves, fresh or dried
20 young green beans, tops removed
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and a pinch of salt flakes, stir around and when wilted, turn down the heat and cook very gently until golden – about 20 minutes. Add the capsicums, garlic, bay leaves and beans. Season well. Stew the vegetables with the lid on until the capsicums and beans are soft – another 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat, let sit till at room temperature. Drain off any excess oil if preferred.