Lamb confit in olive oil and lime jus - Delightful!

The dinosaurs have been quite discrete in my kitchen lately. Don't you worry! They are still around. We even have got a baby dinosaur. It's a T-Rex, but he doesn't bite. He is scared by humans because he is a baby. Dixit my 4 years-old.

Few days ago, while I had to work from home while looking after my sick baby, my big boy commissioned me to take care of his baby dinosaur, who was also sick. It's was really cute to see my big boy talking and comforting to 'his baby dinosaur' as a parent would do. 'Don't worry my baby. Ma maman will look after you while I'm away at daycare. Don't cry. I'll come back later.'
And to me: 'Maman, please put him under the blanket and don't leave him alone. He is little and unwell. Don't be scared. He won't bite.'

What a relief! As long as he won't bite, I'll take care of him... That day promised to be quite busy, perfect for a 7-hours lamb leg confit!

I've already told you about the recipe I'm sharing today. You, busy working mums, busy mums at home, busy daddies, you greedy meat-lovers, working girls, business man, well you who is looking for a stunning dinner to full-fill your family or your hungry man, to impress your friends... with a minimum effort for a maximum effect, there you go: the 7-hours lamb leg confit or lamb leg a la cuillere.

I hear you thinking: "7-hours?! She's completely out of her mind!!!... I'm too busy, can't afford the time..." COME BACK! - I said: come back! Pleeeaaase! You won't regret it.
The roast will cook for seven hours, but it will take at most 15 minutes off your time. Trust me! You can either go out for shopping or work (using the stop cooking function of your oven), spend your day playing/looking after the kids, gardening, doing cross-words or maybe doing some Lebanese bread to compliment your lamb leg confit... while the lamb leg is slowly cooking for you...
Just try it, you'll love it!

With this lamb confit recipe, you'll get a moist and tender meat falling off the bone with a beautiful olive oil and lime jus to baste the meat and the veggies. The meat will be so moist and tender that you can spoon it! Hence the French name 'a la cuillere'. De-Light-Ful!

Ingredients (~ 8 servings)

- 2 kg lamb leg, on the bone - 80 ml olive oil - 1 tbsp olive and lime oil - 4 tsp lime juice - fresh thyme - 6 garlic cloves, cut in two - 12 small orange kumara* (optional)

Cooking (7 hours + marinade)

1. Pick the lamb leg with a knife and insert half of the garlic. Put the other half in the baking dish.

2. Marinate the lamb leg in the olive oil, the olive and lime oil, the lime juice, the garlic and the thyme, for two hours (optional).

3. Put in the oven, grill at 230C, for 10 mins. This step is meant to give the meat some coloration.

4. Reduce the oven to 120C, fan bake. Wrap the lamb leg and the baking dish into foil. Cook for 5 hours and add the veggies.* Cook for 2 extra hours or until the veggies are cooked through.

Don't forget the 'stop cooking' option or other cooking time programming functions of your oven.

5. Rest for 10 mins and serve with a spoon, a la cuillere.

Serve with blanched green peas* and the confit kumara. Generously blaste with the lamb confit jus.

Tips

* You can also use carrots or potatoes or a mix of all these veggies.

* Blanching peas consists in bringing a large amount of salted water to the boil, pour the frozen peas in, add a teaspoon of sugar and cook for one or two minutes after the boil is back. Drain under cold water and serve.

* Small kumara should be cut in four. If the pieces are too big, then put them earlier in the baking dish to allow for sufficient cooking time, or alternatively let cook a bit longer, but no more than 30 mins.