Stranger Foods

Lamb loin with harissa and sweet potato mash

Serves 4 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 40 mins

This dish has bags of flavour and looks like you’ve gone to a lot of trouble to make it, when actually it’s a doddle. Just make sure you buy a good-quality jar of rose harissa paste.

Source: Foolproof Roasting Pan: 60 Effortless One-Pan Recipes Packed with Flavour

Ingredients

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2 thick lamb loins or neck fillets, about 600 g in total
1 tsp sea salt flakes, plus extra for seasoning
black pepper, freshly ground
2 heaped tbsps rose harissa paste
800 g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3 cm pieces
3 sage leaves or bay leaves
3 tbsps olive oil
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
½ tsps ground cinnamon
½ tsps chilli flakes
1 tbsp unsalted butter
bitter green salad, to serve (optional)

Instructions

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Pat the lamb dry with kitchen paper and season with salt and pepper. Rub all over with the harissa paste and set aside for at least .
Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Place the sweet potato, sage or bay leaves, olive oil, garlic, cinnamon, chilli flakes, 1 teaspoon of salt flakes and 3 tablespoons of water in a 30 × 20 × 5 cm roasting pan. Toss well with your hands so everything is combined and the sweet potato is coated in spiced oil. Add the butter to the tray and roast for , shaking the tray occasionally.
Push the sweet potato to one side – it should still fit in a single layer – and add the lamb. Roast for , turning the lamb over and shaking the tray halfway through. When done, it should still be springy to touch. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for .
Meanwhile, remove the sage or bay leaves and squeeze the garlic out of its papery skin into the tray with the sweet potato. Mash, incorporating all the meat juices from the tray, and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Cut the lamb into thick slices and serve with the sweet potato mash, pouring any lamb juices from the plate over the meat. This is lovely served with a bitter green salad.

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