Blueberry & Juniper Berry Marinated Leg of Lamb Paired with a Margaux from Bordeaux

Being married to an Icelander means that a roasted leg of lamb regularly makes an appearance at our dinner table. However, it’s very difficult to find an authentic Icelandic leg of lamb outside of Iceland. However, I’m fortunate to live near the Alexandra Palace Farmer’s Market which is the source of fantastic local and regional farm produce. Traveling all the way from Wales to London each Sunday is the award winning Morgans Family Butchers stand. I regularly purchase incredibly fresh cuts of meat from them such as the leg of lamb I used for this dish. Thank goodness for them, otherwise, my husband would be heading back to Iceland for his roast dinner!!!

In Iceland it’s very common to marinate lamb with blueberries, as they can be found growing all over the countryside. Sometimes people confuse them with the Icelandic crowberry, but the blueberry plants can be identified based on their red leaves. You can find blueberry marinated lamb in most Icelandic grocery stores, but a homemade marinade is always best!

Blueberry Marinade

• Begin preparing the marinade 48 hours before roasting
• Place the 2kg leg of lamb in a roasting dish or pan. Make approximately 10 incisions all over the leg that are roughly 1cm deep. These will enable the marinade to penetrate the surface and infuse the flavours into the meat. Season the leg with salt and pepper.

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• Now, you’re ready to make your marinade. Combine and thoroughly mix together coarsely ground juniper berries, blueberry jam, fresh thyme leaves, Worchestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, honey, gin, cinnamon and olive oil (I used Collana Verde‘s Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which I also purchased at the farmer’s market and is incredible!!!).

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• Spread the marinade over the leg of lamb, cover and refrigerate for up to 48 hours before roasting.

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Roasting the Marinated Leg of Lamb

• 48 hours later, set the oven to 220°C. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator, uncover it and place it in the oven for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, lower the temperature to 175°C and cook one more hour for a medium-rare roasted leg of lamb.

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• Once your leg of lamb has reached the desired temperature, remove from the oven, place on a carving board, cover with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes.

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Making the Gravy

• Meanwhile, you’re ready to start making the gravy. Make sure you save the lamb drippings. Add flour to them while still in the roasting dish. Whisk the flour and drippings together while scraping the sides of the dish to include all the flavourful bits.
• Once everything is thoroughly combined, add to a saucepan. Add the remaining gravy ingredients, stir together and bring to a gentle simmer over medium high heat. Once the sauce is thickened, turn off the heat and keep warm until serving.

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• Once the gravy is finished, you’re ready to carve the leg of lamb. Look at all the juices running off this incredible piece of meat! So incredibly juicy and delicious!

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Serving

• Finally, serve with gravy, gratin potatoes and your favourite vegetables. As per Icelandic tradition, we always include red cabbage and green peas. I wouldn’t dare ‘rock the boat’ or Viking ship rather and include other vegetables. This is Icelandic tradition!!!

Wine Pairing

• Enjoy with a Bordeaux blend from the Margaux AOC. I enjoyed this dish with a 2014 Chateau La Gurge.

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