Lamb with sweet potato patties

• ¼ Manchego lamb with bone
• Water
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 garlic bulb
• a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
and thyme
• 2 sweet potatoes,
pre-cooked in aluminum foil
• Olive oil

We baked this dish in a wood-fired oven, or alternatively use a grill with a lid. First heat up the oven or grill and set it to around 220°C. Season the lamb well all over with salt and pepper and place it in an ovenproof casserole dish with the rib side facing upwards. Add 1-2 glasses of water. Quarter or eighth the unpeeled garlic bulb and spread it around the lamb, add the rosemary and thyme sprigs.

Cook at 220°C for about 1 ½ hours, basting the lamb every 20 minutes with the water and any juices released. After about an hour/an hour and ten minutes, when it is almost done, turn the lamb over to roast the other side, leaving it in the oven/grill for a further 20 minutes.

Mash the pre-cooked sweet potatoes with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Form into patties and fry on both sides either on the grill or in a pan until slightly browned.
Portion the cooked lamb and serve with the sweet potato patties.

Paco Boigues: "The first and most important step for this dish is choosing the piece of meat. A quarter of a lamb is the ration for two people. The Manchego lamb I use has special characteristics. The meat is juicy, has a good color and an excellent aroma. The lamb we chose had a slaughter weight of 8 kilograms and a maximum slaughter age of 35 days."

FIRE&FOOD Issue 4-2018