I know I have mentioned this before but I have to do it again; I think the Icelandic lamb is the best in the world! I made this recipe using an Icelandic leg of lamb but you can of course use what ever lamb you get, I know it will be very good.
I sometimes love just a simple way of cooking lamb, with a bit of garlic and rosemary, salt and pepper but this time I was a bit more adventurous. I made a Béarnaise sauce with this but you can just as well thicken the cooking juices and it will be equally good, it tastes like an amazing bbq sauce.
I recommend some of the amazing Icelandic salt. You could use the plain one or try the blueberry or Arctic thyme salt. They are amazing! You can order the salt and loads of other Icelandic products on this website islandica.com
1 leg of lamb, approx. 2 kg.
200 ml blueberries, I used frozen but they can also be fresh
2 tablespoons runny honey
2 stalks of rosemary
4 stalks of thyme, just the leaves
4 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper
olive oil
Smash together the blueberries, herbs, honey and garlic. I like using a pestle and mortar but you use what ever method you like. I don’t completely puree the blueberries and garlic, it is good having a bit of texture. Season with salt and pepper.
Put a bit of oil in the bottom of an roasting dish. Put the lamb on top and pour over the marinade. Let this marinade for at least half an our but over night will make all the difference.
Put in a preheated 220° fan oven with the lid on for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 180° and cook for a further hour. I like my lamb a bit pink, but you adjust the cooking time according to the size of your lamb and the way you like it cooked. While the meat is cooking it really helps to pour the cooking juices over it every 15-20 minutes. If there isn’t a lot of juice coming out you can put a bit of water or red wine in the bottom of the roasting dish.
Potato gratin
1 large sweet potato
a few large potatoes
500 ml double cream
½ onion
salt and pepper
grated cheese, I like using mature cheddar
Put a bit of oil in the bottom of an oven dish. Cut the potatoes and sweet potato in ½ cm slices and arrange in layers in the dish. Put the finely sliced onion in between the layers and season with salt and pepper. Pour the cream over and sprinkle the cheese over everything. Cook for 30-40 minutes until the cheese is nice and golden and the potatoes cooked through. If the cheese starts browning to much you can put a bit of tinfoil over it to stop it from browning any futher.
Béarnaise sauce
250 gr butter
4-5 egg yolks depending on size
1-2 tablespoon Béarnaise essence (see below)
1 tablespoon chopped Tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt the butter and leave to cool a bit. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl over simmering water until they start thickening a bit. Pour the butter slowly into the eggs, whisking constantly. Only use the clear part of the butter and try to leave all the white bits out of the sauce. Be very careful not to let the mixture get to hot because it will split! If you are not confident with cooking this over the water you can always use an electric mixer to do it. Add a tablespoon or two of the Béarnaise essence, the chopped Tarragon and season with salt and pepper.
With this I didn’t server anything else. If you really want something green I suggest you have it as a starter, this is best just like that – meat, potatoes, Béarnaise. And a fruity red wine just makes it even better!
Béarnaise essence
2 chopped shallots
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2-3 stalks of Tarragon
Put everything in a saucepan and let it simmer gently and reduce until about 2 tablespoons remain. Strain and use in the sauce.