BBQ Lamb & Romesco Sauce

This BBQ lamb & romesco sauce is the latest recipe to grace the table of AnotherFoodBloggers home.  It's a real winner - not a biased comment at all. 😉  Perfectly BBQ'd butterflied lamb leg, a simple macadamia romesco, and charred broccolini was a match made in heaven.  This dish eats as good as it looks, and the wine I paired with it was simply delish.  Read on to hear more about the delish Merchant shiraz from Seabrook winery

SEABROOK WINES

I had the good fortune of teaming up with Jo & Hamish at Seabrook winery.  Based in the Barossa, South Australia, on the light pass road in a beautiful 1850's cottage, it's a beautiful little winery doing some great things with grape juice!

The name Seabrook has been around in the wine industry since 1878. Initially based in Melbourne, Hamish, who is 5th generation carries on the family tradition in wine with his operations in the Barossa Valley.  Their wines and labels all tell a story about past Seabrook generations.  Adding even more charm to an already charming winery.

VISITING THE WINERY

My visit there was in September 2019 with Mrs. AnotherFoodBlogger and Little Miss (aspiring) AnotherFoodBloggger.  We were driving past, knew very little about it but were drawn in by the view, picturesque winery, and desire for some good juice.  Hamish was on hand himself that day and set us up outside for a tasting.  It was the perfect balance of formality.  We set ourselves up outside, I ordered a tasting, the boss a glass of riesling and a lovely little platter.  Shortly afterward, a large box of toys brought out to entertain Olivia. Our so-called endless supply of stickers and rice crackers had come to an end!!!

I tasted through the range with Hamish popping in and out, charming me with his passion and unpretentious approach while Naomi sipped on the riesling and enjoyed the space.  By the end of it, we wished we had of found the winery earlier in the day. That we were staying around the corner and didn't have Little Miss Trouble so we could have just sipped wine all day.  Needless to say, we picked up several bottles on the way and had more shipped back to the house.  It was the perfect end to our day in the Valley.

ROMESCO SAUCE

A classic Spanish sauce that originated in the Catalonian region of Spain on the North-Western side.  It starts with roasted or charred tomatoes with the addition of roasted red capsicums, adding a sweeter touch to the dish.  FYI, for those short on time, you can buy pre-roasted peppers easily in the supermarket.  Traditionally it is made using almonds and plenty of them, but given I am in Australia and Macadamias are an Aussie way of life, I thought I'd add an Aussie twist to the dish.

Romesco is super versatile and works great with fish, veggies, chicken, and in this case, lamb. It's served cold, which makes it even better as you can prepare it in advance for a dinner party and not worry about another pot on the stove to stir 😉  The making of it couldn't be easier.  I charred up some tomatoes and a red pepper/capsicum over the gas stovetop.  If I had the BBQ on, then I'd cook them there, getting that smokey charred flavour.  Then literally just blend everything up in your food processor.  It will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days, but in my opinion, it is at it's best for 3-5 days.

CHARRED BROCCOLINI

In season here in Australia right now, I'm a HUGE fan of it. It's super healthy; after all, it's green, so it's gotta be good for you 😉  Rich in beta-carotene which the body converts into Vitamin A, plenty of Vitamin C and a good source of fiber too. For me, the best way to cook it is to layer on the olive oil & salt and chuck it on the BBQ.  Turn it regularly, so you get a nice char on the broccolini, but not too much that it burns.  The char adds a lovely bitterness to the slightly sweeter flavour.  Finish it with a squeeze of lemon juice for some acidity and freshness.  OR be smart and whip the romesco and grab a loaf of crusty bread and you have a match made in heaven.  In fact, I did that as a starter for a recent dinner party with some homemade focaccia #delicious

WINE PAIRING

As mentioned, this BBQ lamb & romesco sauce recipe was made to pair with wine from the beautiful Seabrook winery.  The wine I was working with was 2016 'The Merchant' Shiraz, rated 94 points from James Halliday it is/was drinking beautifully and will only get better over the next few years. It's full-bodied but wonderfully balanced. I got notes of blackberries, spice, and soft oak make this wine delightfully savoury and 100% moreish.

Lamb was the first choice of what to cook with the dish.  After all, what's more, Aussie than BBQ lamb and a Barossa shiraz?  The addition of the delicious macadamia romesco and charred broccolini rounded the dish off beautifully. When making this, my advice is to crack open the shiraz and chuck it in a decanter while you are cooking/prepping.  An hour later, you will have a match made in heaven.  Heck, why not open up their riesling (wife's current fave) and enjoy that during prep time!

OTHER LAMB DISHES

Here are a few other lamb dishes created by yours truly and fellow food bloggers if you want/need further inspiration!

Easy Carve Lamb Leg by Yours Truly

Crispy Lamb Wraps by Robyn Jones of 'Mrs Jones Kitchen'

Lamb Burger w/ Harissa, Onion & Goats Curd by Yours Truly

Lamb Shank Soup by George Clegg of 'The Home Cooks Kitchen'

Grilled Lamb & Apricot Kebabs by Gina Matsoukas of 'Running To The Kitchen'

Slow Cooker Lamb Ragu by Kim Morris of 'My Sugar Free Kitchen'

Scottish Lamb Stew by Yours Truly (actually my 99yr old Gran's recipe!)

Lamb Rogan Josh by Ashley Buckler Thompson of 'Two Sleevers'

Moroccan Lamb Tagine by Lucy Parissi of 'Super Golden Bakes'

If you enjoyed making my BBQ lamb & romesco sauce recipe, I'd love to hear from you.  Alternatively, tag me on Instagram @another_food_blogger with some pics too 😉

Happy Cooking and Happy Eating Friends!!

BBQ Lamb, macadamia romesco, grilled broccolini & herb leaf salad

Beautiful Aussie lamb with Spanish influences

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 10 minutes minutes

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Australian, Spanish, Worldwide

Keyword: BBQ Lamb, Romesco Sauce, Seabrook Wines

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 551kcal

Author: AnotherFoodBlogger

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• 800 g butterflied lamb leg
• 3 bunches broccolini
• 200 g mixed leaves salad
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 handful mixed herbs dill, mint, parsley

Romesco Sauce

• 1 red capsicum
• 3 truss tomatoes
• 1 handful parsley
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp salt
• 100 g macadamia
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 50 ml olive oil
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Instructions

Romesco Sauce

• Char the capsicum and tomatoes on your bbq or over your gas cooker until blackened (5 minutes). Peel capsicum and chop *see tips*
• Place macadamia, sherry vinegar, oil and 2 tbsp water in a blender and blend until smooth(ish).
• Add remaining ingredients and blitz until smooth(ish). It will be slightly grainy due to the nuts but that’s ok, that’s the consistency you are looking for.

Lamb

• Remove lamb from fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking, season with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt (more if you like!)
• Heat BBQ or oven to 200c then sear each side until brown (2-3 minutes) and cook on indirect heat in the BBQ or middle shelf of the oven for 15-20 minutes or until internal temp reads 54c *see tips*
• Remove, cover lightly with foil and rest for a minimum of 10 minutes *see tips*
• If using grill-pan, then start to cook broccolini now but if using BBQ then wait 5 minutes.

Broccolini

• Drizzle broccolini with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt (more if you like!)
• If using grill-pan, then char broccolini in a grill pan for 3 – 4 minutes and place in the oven to cook for a further 3 – 4 minutes
• If using the BBQ then place on direct heat and cook for 5 minutes, turning every minute or so. This helps get a nice charred colour without burning them.

Salad

• Mix lemon juice, 1 tsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt/pepper together
• Add salad leaves and herbs together and toss in the dressing

Notes

Essential Tools

• BBQ or oven
• grill pan (if using the oven)
• blender
• measuring utensils
• chef knives
• chopping board
• tongs

Tips/Tricks

• when peeling the capsicum it’s best to place in a bowl and cover it in cling film. This helps to loosen the skin and makes it easier to peel
• it’s not so much the weight that determines the cooking of meat but also the thickness. If you have a thinner piece of lamb it will cook quicker so take this into consideration with cooking times
• cooking on indirect heat in the BBQ it means that the meat isn’t touching the heat source – the same way as an oven works. I would turn on ½ of my BBQ and cook it on the other ½. Alternatively, you can use a trivet to raise it above the heat source. If the lamb is a thinner piece you can also cook it on direct heat but keep an eye on it as it will cook quicker this way.
• resting is KEY to juicy meat, no matter how you like it medium-rare or even well done. Allow the juices in the meat to redistribute during the resting period and have perfectly pink meat or a juicer well-done meat.

Nutrition

Calories: 551kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 1882mg | Potassium: 844mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4933IU | Vitamin C: 183mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 5mg

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