Irish lamb has a wonderful distinct flavour and the many varieties nationwide make it something worth exploring. Kerry, Galway, Wicklow, Meath and Connemara (as well as many others) all rear lamb that deserves to be considered particular to its own terroir. I love the salty character of the lamb from Connemara and Achill. Saying that, the lamb of east Galway and Roscommon deserves a mention too. Its’ flavour is rooted more in the lush green pastures watered by the Shannon.
Last week, I decided to take two of my favourite Irish food stuffs and combine them: lamb and seaweed. There are many types of seaweeds that can partner lamb; kombu, sea spaghetti and sea lettuce to name a few.
I chose instead to pair it with nori. The rich earthy flavour of the nori match the beautiful east Galway leg of lamb I picked up in Colleran’s butchers the day before. I set the oven to 140°C as I wanted the lamb to roast slowly.
After rubbing a light oil into the lamb, I generously sprinkle milled nori over the entire leg. Most health shops will have milled seaweed. Evergreen in Galway stock Wild Irish Sea Veg, which is hand harvested in Clare.
Sea salt, rosemary and thyme goes on over the nori before the lamb goes into the oven. I roast for two hours or until the core temperature reaches 55°C (medium rare).
For the last hour, I add in some vegetables (leeks, onions, carrots: all roughly chopped). I cover this with half white wine and chicken stock. This means at the end of roasting, you’ll have your vegetables and sauce.
I like to reduce the sauce by half when it comes out, just to concentrate the flavour and texture. If you don’t do this, you’ll end up with more of a broth. This is fine if that’s what you like.
Rest the lamb for 15 minutes and then carve. Serve everything is the middle of the table, family style. I like to pour the sauce over the lamb before serving and get people to serve themselves. Bon Appetit.