Roast Dinner Sandwich

Being from Australia, as I am, I love a good roast lamb.We did this the other night, roast vegies, steamed vegies, gravy, the lot. The only thing I forgot was the Yorkshire Puddings. I always forget the Yorkshire Puddings. It was a massive leg, about two and a half kilos (5 pounds). One of the great joys of a roast lamb dinner, is the roast lamb left overs, and with a leg that size, they can last several days.

Roasting lamb is not a fine art. Generally, you heat the oven to start with, quite high, and cook the leg for the first half hour at 220C or so. For a lovely pink lamb, you allow 15-20 mins per half kilo (pound). After the first half hour you turn it down to about 190C (sorry can’t be arsed with the C-F conversion, though 185C is about 350F I think). This time, I’d basted it with garlic and mixed herbs and let it sit for about 30 mins, though if I’d been more together, I’d’ve done it the day before. As I was preparing the vegetables (dutch cream potatoes, white flesh sweet potatoes, kent pumpkin), I remembered I had some quinces lurking in the fruit bowl, so I cut a few of them into eighths and laid them under the leg on the rack. Quinces go really well with lamb, I often make a lamb and quince tagine in the winter, using lots of coriander seed and cinnamon. I also added some to the pan with the rest of the vegetables. A good splash of olive oil and it all went into the oven for its first 30 mins on high.

Fast forward to a couple of hours later and we sat down and stuffed ourselves full of delicious food.There was a mountain of left overs. I cut all the meat off the bone, in preparation for boiling the bone for stock in the next day or so, and boxed up all the vegies.

The next day (today!) the meat has been sitting in the fridge, gaining flavour, the vegies need eating and the joy of the toastie or jaffle springs to mind as I drive home from an annoying long day working with vegans. Also the talk topic on the radio was “what is your favourite sandwich?”. I’m torn between ringing in, and eating, but I get to business as soon as I walk in the door, slicing lamb, mashing pumpkin. I got out my sandwich press, as I’m not currently the owner of a jaffle iron, and started assembly. First, bread (fluffy and white, you’ve all seen it before); then a slice of cheese, which will help to stick it all together. Next is the sliced lamb, and some white flesh sweet potato mashed on top. Sliced dutch cream potato is next, they’re a fairly waxy one, with a great flavour, they roast really well, and go fantastically in a toastie. Then some steamed brussels sprouts. I love brassicas, and sprouts in particular. One of the advantages of working at the fruit and veg shop is cheap produce, and access to it the moment it arrives on our doorstep. Midwinter is the best time for brussels sprouts, after some frost, they’re really sweet (believe it or not).I was craving something vinegary and hot, so I chucked on some pickled chillis, and the quinces. The another slice of cheese and on the top piece of bread, some pumpkin. I shut the lid of the sandwich press as far as it will, which isn’t very, and wait. In the meantime I get the stock started, just water and the bone.

The sandwich is so thick the lid of the press doesn’t properly flatten it, so I have to spin it through 90degrees every few minutes to get it even, but it’s soon making the right sizzling noises as the cheese melts. Some of the brussels sprouts fall out, but I don’t really care. I’m hungry and I eat them straight off the press. I slide it out. Despite my best efforts to use cheese and pumpkin as glue, this monster is going to be hard to eat it. It’s very full, and very floppy. I end up wearing some, as is frequently the case with my food. It’s great. I dress it with a bit of dead horse, Rosella brand, which doesn’t quite marry with the chillis and quinces, but again, I don’t really care. Sauce and lamb are natural partners. The quinces are fabulously sour, but so fragrant and quincey, I can’t believe it took me this long to put them in a sandwich with the meat! The whole thing is like the Willy Wonka chewing gum meal, only in a sandwich. I am replete.

Meanwhile, the stock bubbles on, and tomorrow will be a soup with split red lentils, more of the lamb and the quinces, with some of the tagine spices.

Crit

I’m a mother of two boys. I work selling organic produce to gullible locals, and in my spare time I run as far as I can. Oh, and I live in Australia, married to a US citizen.