Lamb recipe raised in the countryside roasted in the fireplace
Ingredients for 8 people:
- half a lamb
- salt
Preparation:
The ingredients of this tasty dish are reduced to the essentials. The success will be due to the goodness of the natural ingredients and the cooking and preparation process. They are simple techniques that are the fruit of experience. Follow all the advice carefully to get an excellent result.
Whole lamb without giblets should ideally weigh between 6 and 8 kg for optimal cooking. Look for a lamb raised in the countryside. Before cooking it, it is important to wash the meat thoroughly and remove the offal, with the exception of the kidney. These parts can be used to prepare a delicious second course of meat called “trattalia” or a tasty “frexura”, perfect as an appetizer or side dish.
If you want to cook half a lamb on a spit, it is advisable to skewer the meat lengthwise while maintaining a balance of weight. Usually, it’s best to start at the thigh area and work your way up and down between the ribs to keep the meat from sliding off while rotisserie. This ensures even cooking and even heat distribution, which will help make the roast lamb delicious and flavourful.
Start by preparing the fire about an hour in advance, using good quality wood logs, with a diameter of about 5 cm to 10 cm. The most suitable types of wood are holm oak, strawberry tree or oak, which give the meat a delicious flavour. The fire must be cared for throughout cooking by feeding it with new logs and positioning it at a suitable distance during the various cooking stages.
Before placing the meat in front of the fire, leave it vertically on the spit about half a meter from the flame for about half an hour, so that it warms up and dries up, but without cooking.
Next, place the skewer in the rotisserie at cooking distance and cook the meat slowly, turning it for about an hour and a half. During cooking, move the heat to the sides to prevent the thinner central part from burning.
Pay attention to the cooking of the thigh, which tends to remain less cooked than the rest of the meat. It is possible to place aluminum foil on the bottom to collect the dripping fat, to be spread on the external surface with a kitchen brush.
Also, place a small piece of parchment paper over the brain to prevent it from falling off during cooking, and add salt to the entire surface of the meat during cooking.
At the end of cooking, bring the embers close under the lamb and brown it until you get a golden and crunchy crust.
Subsequently, remove the lamb from the skewer and let it rest for at least an hour before cutting it into small portions. This will allow the meat to relax and the juices to be distributed evenly, preventing the pieces from falling apart when cutting.
For an unforgettable tasting and to enhance the flavor of the roast lamb, I suggest you accompany the dish with a good Sardinian red wine. Among the best options, you can consider the Cannonau from Sardinia or a Carignano from Sulcis, both with a strong taste and an aromatic complexity that goes perfectly with roast lamb.
Enjoy your meal!
