Directions

What To Do: In The Kitchen

1. Begin by butterflying the lamb leg. Lay it fleshy side down and starting at the thick end of the leg, cut through the meat down to the bone. Continue to make small slicing incisions through the meat, following the line of the bone as closely as possible. Discard the bone. Where the meat is thickest, make a few deep slashes to open the leg out further and make it more even. Set aside while you make the marinade.
2. Set a frying pan over medium heat and add the cumin and coriander, toasting for a minute until fragrant. Tip into a pestle and mortar and roughly grind. Add the sumac and smoked paprika and grind together. Stir through the garlic, olive oil, and sherry vinegar, and then rub all over the lamb. Cover and leave to marinate for a couple of hours, or ideally overnight in the fridge for maximum flavor.
3. Once the meat is ready, add the rice to a sieve and rinse well under running water, then tip into a bowl and cover with cold water. Put the cranberries in a separate bowl and cover with boiling water. Add the saffron to a small glass and cover with 2 tablespoons of boiling water. Allow them to soak for 1 hour.

What To Do: At The Barbecue

1. Fire up the barbecue; one end high for the lamb, the middle burner to medium for the squash, and the other end to a low flame for the rice.
2. Once the rice, saffron, and cranberries have soaked for 30 minutes, add the oil and half of the butter to a large deep frying pan and place on the cooking grates over the low flame. When the butter has melted, add the onion, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, and chili flakes and fry gently for 30 minutes until the onion is soft and lightly caramelized, stirring from time to time.
3. Lay the lamb over high heat for 8 minutes on each side to caramelize, then reduce heat to minimum and cook for 15 minutes until the internal temp is 60-65°C for medium-rare, 65-70°C for medium. Turn off the burner and rest for 10-15 minutes on the warming rack.
4. Drain the rice and cranberries, and stir through the caramelized onions. Add the saffron and its infused water. Cover with boiling water to come level with the top of the rice. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, stirring well, then dot the surface of the rice with the remaining butter. Cover the pan tightly with a lid or layer of foil and leave over low heat. Cook for about 30 minutes, after which time the rice will be fluffy and a delicious buttery crust will have developed on the bottom.
5. Once the rice is covered. Drizzle the squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place over a medium flame and cook for about 20 minutes, turning regularly until lightly charred and soft when pierced.
6. Stir the walnuts, parsley, garlic, pomegranate and orange zest in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Once the rice is ready, stir through half the mixture, scraping the lovely buttery crust off the bottom of the pan and stirring that through as well. Pile the rice onto a warmed serving dish and scatter over the remaining walnut mixture.
7. To serve, cut the lamb into thick slices and pile onto a serving plate. Sprinkle over the mint and a little sea salt. Pile the roasted squash onto another plate and add little dollops of yogurt. Drizzle over the pomegranate molasses and sprinkle on the mint and Aleppo pepper.