Salt Crusted Leg of Lamb

Описание: Salt crust is probably the easiest cool-looking thing to make. It seasons the meat while slowly releasing heat to cook the meat gently. It’s a wonderful method that works on anything from fish to lamb. It’s also a great hosting dish that brings a sense of occasion. In this recipe, we are cooking a leg of lamb, but the principles apply to most meat.

0:00 - Intro
0:16 - Making the Salt Crust
2:56 - Leg of Lamb Cooking in the Oven
3:04 - Lighting Up the Salt Crust
3:28 - Opening the Salt Crust
4:10 - Carving and Plating

For me, lamb shoulder is a much better braising joint than the leg of lamb, because of the fat content and the amount of connective tissue the shoulder has. In fact, lamb shoulder does not cope well with fast cooking at high heat. The leg of lamb, on the other hand, is, at least in my opinion, best served pink, which makes it a perfect candidate for the salt-crusted method. The gentle heat will help cook the joint more evenly.

There are three ways to make a salt crust: salt with water, salt with egg white, and less salt with whisked egg white. The first two will yield exactly the same result, except for the colour of the crust. Beaten egg white, on the other hand, will reduce the density of the salt, making the outside less salty. This method achieves a result that is closer to steaming and I prefer it for seafood. For lamb, I prefer the first two methods. (I have no idea why I decided to whisk the egg white for the camera…)

In an ideal world, I would sear the lamb before applying the salt crust, but who has a pan that size.

Ingredients
Leg of Lamb
Salt - enough to cover the whole leg
Egg white or water - enough to moisten the salt
Rosemary - for Instagram photos

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
2. If equipped to do so, sear the lamb until browned on all sides.
3. Add water or egg white to the salt until it can form a paste. Form a base on a tray, then transfer the leg on top. Cover the leg of lamb with moistened salt all over.
4. Transfer to the oven and cook for one hour (my leg weighs 2.6 kg), then let it rest inside the salt crust for 30 minutes. This will even out the temperature and yield pink meat.
5. Carve and serve on warmed plates.



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