Recipe: Celebrity Cruises’ roast lamb shuwa

Each month, as part of the new-look Cruise Adviser, we’ll bring you the best recipes from our cruise line partners to try at home. Here’s how to cook Celebrity Cruises and Great British Chefs’ sumptuous roast lamb shuwa. Send pictures of your successes to info@cruise-adviser.com

Ingredients

• 1 leg of lamb, bone in
• 1/2 garlic bulb, peeled and
  roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 nutmeg, grated
• 1/2 tbsp of ground cumin
• 1/2 tbsp of ground coriander
• 1/2 tbsp of sweet smoked
  paprika
• 1/2 tbsp of freshly ground
  black pepper
• 1/4 tbsp of turmeric
• 1 pinch of hot smoked paprika
• Juice of half a lemon
• 50ml of olive oil
• 2 banana leaves, or more as needed to wrap the lamb

Method

1. In a large pestle and mortar, crush the garlic cloves with the sea salt to create a smooth paste.
2. Add in all the dry spices, followed by the lemon juice and olive oil. Blend into the garlic paste until evenly combined.
3. Rub the spice paste all over the lamb, working it in thoroughly to completely and evenly cover the meat. Cover the lamb and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge
4. Before cooking, preheat the oven to 140°C/gas mark one and remove the lamb from the fridge to bring it back up to room temperature.
5. Wrap the leg of lamb in the banana leaves, making sure it is fully enclosed. Place in a deep baking tray with any seams from the wrapping facing down to help the leaves stay in place during cooking
6. Cover the tray with tin foil, then bake in the oven for one to two hours – check the meat after an hour, as the exact cooking time will depend on the weight and thickness of the joint. The lamb should be tender and still slightly pink in the centre when done
7. Allow the lamb to rest, still covered, for about 30 minutes while cooking the rice. A fragrant basmati rice – seasoned with saffron, sautéed onion, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and lemon juice – would be the ideal accompaniment for this dish.
8. To serve, unwrap the rested lamb and carve into generous slices. Serve immediately with the fragrant rice
   on the side.