Baked leatherjackets
with marjoram and capers
50g unsalted butter, chopped
2 tbs baby capers in vinegar, drained,
patted dry with paper towel
1 bunch marjoram (substitute oregano),
leaves picked
Juice of^1 / 2 a lemon
Lemon cheeks, to serve
Preheat the oven to 250°C. Grease
a shallow roasting pan and line
with baking paper.
Place flour in a bowl. Add fish and dust
in flour, patting away excess. Season.
Heat oil in a large frypan over
medium-high heat. Add fish and cook,
without turning, for 4 minutes. Remove
from pan and transfer, cooked-side
up, to the prepared pan.
Return frypan to medium-high
heat and add butter, capers, half
the marjoram and lemon juice. Cook,
stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes oruntil butter is foaming. Pour butter
mixture over fish, transfer to the oven
and bake for 6 minutes or until fish is
just cooked through.
Remove from oven and set aside in
the pan for 5 minutes to rest. Scatter fish
with remaining marjoram and serve
immediately with lemon cheeks.LAMB SHOULDER WITH ROAST
PEARS AND POTATOES
SERVES 6
Begin this recipe at least 5 hours ahead.10 garlic cloves, peeled
2kg lamb shoulder (bone in)
4 cups (1L) buttermilk(^1) / 2 bunch thyme, leaves picked,
plus extra to serve
2 bay leaves
1.5kg desiree potatoes, peeled,
halved lengthways
ROAST PEARS
4 small pears
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
(^1) / 2 cup (125ml) verjuice
2 vanilla beans, split, seeds scraped
1 bay leaf
4 thyme sprigs
1 tsp caster sugar
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Place garlic
in a large, heavy-based casserole with
a tight-fitting lid. Season lamb and place
on top of garlic. Roast, uncovered, for
15 minutes, then turn lamb and roast for
a further 10 minutes or until browned.
Meanwhile, place buttermilk in
a saucepan over medium-high heat and
bring to the boil (the buttermilk will
separate). Add thyme and bay leaves, then
pour buttermilk mixture over lamb. Cover.
Reduce oven to 140°C. Return lamb to
oven and roast, basting every 45 minutes
with cooking liquid, for 4 hours or until
meat is very tender.
To prepare potato, 30 minutes into
the lamb cooking time, place 1 potato,
cut-side down, on a chopping board
and insert a metal skewer lengthways
one-third of the way up from the base
(this will prevent you cutting completely
EXTR ACT.