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