Ottoman lamb with sultan’s pleasure

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4.

2. For the lamb: remove the skin and fat from the lamb, exposing as much flesh as possible. Make incisions all over the leg with a small sharp knife.

3. Mix all the other ingredients together in a bowl and add the lamb, rubbing it into the incisions. Leave the lamb to marinate for 24 hours.

4. For the sultan’s pleasure: drizzle the whole aubergines with a little olive oil and roast them for 30 minutes in the oven. Remove from the oven and leave them to cool.

5. Turn the oven up to 190C/gas 5.

6. Slice the aubergines in half and scoop out the pulp inside. Press the mixture through a sieve with the back of a spoon to get rid of some of the juices. Transfer to a food processor and blend to a smooth purée.

7. Drain the lamb from its marinade, but don’t wipe clean. Roast in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and cover with foil to keep warm. Leave to rest for 15 minutes.

8. Prepare the rest of the sultan’s pleasure by melting the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the flour and stir continually until the mixture forms a pale golden paste.

9. Take the pan off the heat and add the milk, slowly at first, making sure the liquid is well mixed in before you add the next bit. Put the pan back on the heat and bring to the boil stirring continually, until the sauce has thickened. Turn the heat down and let simmer for 5 minutes.

10. Stir the aubergine purée and cheeses into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

11. Serve the lamb on a platter with some sprigs of coriander round the bone end, and a mound of the sultan’s pleasure at the other. Drizzle the purée with a little extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of cayenne pepper. Serve with couscous cooked with saffron, and roasted on-the-vine tomatoes.