New Zealand Listener - November 5, 2016

44 LISTENER NOVEMBER 5 2016

I

t’s a brisk walk from the

farmhouse to the high ridge

overlooking the O’Neills’

Turakina property, about 20

minutes south of Whanganui.

You can see the coastline and

feel the prevailing westerly

wind sweeping up from the Tasman

Sea. When strong winds blow, which

is most of the time, salty mist rises

from the ocean, drenching the pas-

tures and turning fencing wire rusty

brown.

The conditions are ideal: the

lambs that graze and are “finished”

on the thick plantain and clover

fields produce meat that’s sweet

and succulent. And like the famous

Normandy pré-salé lamb (salt

meadow lamb), this meat is also

slightly saltier than that raised on

farms further inland. At this time of

the year, the first spring lambs are

killed and the O’Neill family, with 10

other coastal family farms, market

this much-admired meat under the

banner of Coastal Spring Lamb.

The concept and brand, originally

proposed five years ago, have been

led by the O’Neills’ neighbours,

Richard and Suze Redmayne.

A fine example of farming

innovation, the brand has grown

successfully, and last week its sweet,

light-pink meat was recognised at the

annual NZ Food Awards, winning the

Chilled Foods Award and the Export

Innovation Award before being

named supreme winner.

Available from early November to

mid-March, the meat is sold in New

World and Pak’nSave supermarkets

and exported to several countries.

Spring lamb is best served rare to

medium, so whole legs and shoulder

meat do not need the long, slow

cooking required by older meat. Pink

juices ensure the lamb is succulent,

but as with all meat cooked in the

rare to medium range, it’s essential

to rest it before carving and serving. One method

• whether the lamb has been grilled, roasted or
  barbecued – is to remove the meat from the heat,
  then cover it lightly with foil and several thick tea
  towels. This retains the heat while allowing the
  juices to be reabsorbed.
  The lamb rack, which won the award, is the
  simplest cut, and it’s best cooked as a whole piece
  before being sliced into tiny chops once the meat
  has been removed from the heat. Backstraps are
  also excellent, but must not be overcooked.
  A whole spring lamb leg will feed about 10
  people. Shaun Clouston of Logan Brown brines the
  leg for at least 24 hours before cooking. His lamb,
  which was roasted then finished on the barbecue,
  produced the juiciest, most tender pink slices of
  meat I have enjoyed in years.
  Here’s his recipe for a brine for lamb. When you
  submerge meat in brine, some of the tasty salty
  liquid is absorbed, which results in more tender,
  juicy meat. I like to roast or grill lamb on a charcoal
  barbecue with a tight-fitting lid, as this adds an
  aromatic smoky flavour.

BRINED SPICED LEG OF SPRING LAMB

BRINE

3 tbsp flaky sea salt

2 tbsp sugar

¼ cup pomegranate molasses

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp allspice berries

2 bay leaves

a head of garlic, halved crosswise

1.5 litres water

TO ROAST

1 leg of spring lamb

1 tsp flaky sea salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

To make the brine, combine all the ingredients in

a large saucepan. Bring to rolling boil, stirring to

dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from the heat

LIZ CLARKSON; STYLING BY KATE ARBUTHNOT; PLATES, DISHES AND WOODE

N CARVING SET FROM WWW.GREENWITHENVY.CO.NZ

In the pink

Celebrate spring with a succulent roasted lamb cut.

by Lauraine Jacobs

FOOD

THIS LIFE