Now that I am sitting on a modest amount of rose infused honey I’m feeling the urge to
incorporate this unique item into meals and snacks. I’ve mixed it into plain yogurt with raspberries (Food of the Goddess, I tell you!) and tonight I made a Persian style spice rub, mixed it with the honey and rubbed it onto a leg of lamb. The result is quite a lovely break from my standard dinners and this will be one I return to again!
Persian food is one cuisine where rosewater and the flavor of rose is incorporated into food. You can also find it in desserts from Afghanistan and, to a lesser degree in India and the Mediterranean cuisine. I did a little research and found an Iranian beef stew that incorporated several spices and used this as a flavor base for the lamb, adding the honey in to sweeten and caramelize the meat. According to my partner this is “the best roast you’ve made”. Give it a whirl and see for yourself!
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp. rose honey (recipe here)
- 4 pound boneless leg of lamb
- salt, to taste
- 4 yukon gold potatoes
- 4 large carrots, cut into large pieces
- Other roasting veggies, if desired
- 1/2 cup broth
Preheat broiler. Mix spices together and set aside. Remove lamb from netting and open to expose as much flesh as possible. Salt the lamb on all sides. Mix 1 tbsp. of the spice blend into 2 tbsp. of honey and massage the honey into the lamb.
Broil the lamb for 5-10 minutes on each side to caramelize the exterior and seal in the juices.
While the lamb is broiling prepare the potatoes, carrots and any other veggies you would like to cook. Because this is being cooked under high pressure you’ll want to leave veggies in large chunks or uncut if possible to prevent them from getting too soft. Layer them into the bottom of your Instant Pot as follows: potatoes first, then carrots, then other veggies which presumably cook faster than carrots. Pour the broth over veggies. Once the lamb leg is caramelized remove it from the oven and place it atop the veggies in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
Pressure cook on high for 35 minutes (or simply use the Meat/stew setting on an Instant pot) and walk away. Once the lamb is done, remove it from the Instant Pot to cool slightly before carving. Serve with vegetables, drizzling a little bit of the rose honey onto the sliced meat before serving.
What I love most of all about this is that in less than an hour I had a leg of lamb on the table! This normally takes at least an hour and a half in the oven. While the Instant Pot was doing its work I was able to food prep some veggies for the coming week, accomplishing as much in an hour as often takes me all evening.
