James Strawbridge’s Harissa Roast Lamb with Herby Couscous

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

For the lamb

For the couscous

To serve:

Method:

Rub your rolled lamb with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sear in a hot pan on all sides to brown the meat.
Brush the lamb with a mixture of harissa, mint sauce and chilli jam. Place in a roasting tray on top of a bed of garlic cloves, dates, roughly chopped fennel and a full jar of roasted red pepper meze. Pour in a tin of chopped tomatoes and half a bottle of good red wine.
Cover the roasting tray with tin foil and roast for 15 mins at 200˚C. Then reduce the heat to 160˚C and cook for 3-5 hours.
While the lamb is resting, make the couscous by cooking it in a saucepan with hot oil for 1-2 mins and then cover with boiling water. Place a lid on the pan, take it off the heat and after 10 mins, fluff up the couscous with a fork.
After a further 5-10 mins, once the couscous has cooked and started to cool down, toss it in a large bowl with plenty of chopped herbs, pomegranate seeds, cucumber, capers and a pinch of salt.
Serve the lamb at the table by spooning the couscous in a lovely serving platter and laying the lamb on top. Spoon over the sauce to keep the lamb moist and to allow the juices to soak into the couscous.
Mix some extra mint sauce into the feta yogurt to accompany as a side and sprinkle with a pinch of cumin seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with the spiced lamb for a cooling dip.