Lamb-on-the-spit
Adapted from Adam Perry Lang's recipe
Made this for Warren's 40th Birthday Party (25 June 2016). Was lekker!
Ingredients
Lamb
20kg Lamb
30kg Charcoal
Coarse salt to season
Black Pepper, finely ground, to season
Olive Oil, enough to spread over entire lamb
Dry Spice Mix
2 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp coarse Salt
2 tbsp dried Thyme
2 tbsp dried Rosemary
1 tbsp Black Pepper, finely ground
1 tbsp Chilli Powder
1 tbsp Paprika
1 tbsp Turmeric
1 tbsp Cayenne Pepper
Basting Butter
1kg Butter
½ litre Oilve Oil
Juice of 5 Lemons
2 large Onions, puréed
2 bulbs Garlic, puréed
10 Thyme sprigs
5 Rosemary sprigs
Herb Basting Brush
1 stick
Wire
Rosemary, fresh
Thyme, fresh
Marjoram, fresh
Glaze
1 cup honey
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 tbsp of Apple or Red Wine Vinegar
3 sprigs of Thyme, finely chopped
1 sprig of Rosemary, finely chopped
6 cloves of Garlic, puréed
1 tbsp Salt
1 tbsp ground Pepper
2 tbsp Oilve Oil
Method
Kitchen preparation
Combine all of the basting butter ingredients in a disposable foil pan/tray
Combine the dry spice mix ingredients in a separate container
Make the herb basting brush by tying the herbs to the end of the stick with wire
Combine all the glaze ingredients in a separate container with a tight lid and shake well
Outside preparation
Light the coals half an hour before starting to cook the lamb (this size lamb will take 4 to 5 hours, depending on heat)
Cover the lamb lightly in olive oil
Sprinkle the entire lamb with salt and pepper
WHen the coals are ready (they have all turned white), mound them up at each end so that the shoulders and legs of the lamb have the most heat
Place the lamb over the fire and switch on the rotisserie
To know that the coals are properly placed to cook the lamb, watch the lamb. The skin should begin to sweat very lightly and start to render fat. If the sweating or rendering is too aggressive, move some of the coals away from the lamb. Conversely, if the lamb is not sweating, move more coals closer to the lamb.
Place the disposable foil pan/tray with the basting butter in a position to heat up and catch some of the roasting juices (don't start basting yet, but the onions, garlic and herbs need to cook for a while and flavour the butter)
After 45 minutes, cover the entire lamb in the dry spice mix
After another 15 minutes, start basting with the butter mix using the herb brush
Keep basting constantly for the entire cook and add coals to keep the temperature up
About the 30 minutes before the lamb is cooked, use a basting brush to apply the glaze. Keep applying until all the glaze is used up
Cut and serve