This kid leg roasted over rice is a simple way to feed a crowd and looks fantastic when you put it down in the centre of the table.
Serves: 4
Time: mins
Ingredients:
- 1.5 kg kid leg)
- 250g Basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons (or thereabouts) olive oil
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- Salt (a good heaped teaspoon for seasoning the chicken)
- 2 onions, peeled and diced
- 1 whole cinnamon sticks
- 3 cups hot chicken stock or boiling water (500ml)
- 10 cardamom pods
- 2 tsp whole allspice
- 4 bay leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper on the table
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180oC
- Soak the rice in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes.
- Rub the kid with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and ½ the ground cinnamon.
- Heat a large deep heavy bottomed casserole pan- that has a lid, add the remaining olive oil over a moderate heat and add the kid.
- Put the pan un-lidded for the time being in the hot oven roast for 20 minutes per 500gr for well done, or 15 minutes per 500gr for pink.
- Meanwhile, grind the rest of the cardamom and the allspice, leaving the cinnamon stick whole.
- Drain the rice.
- Remove the pan from the oven and remove the kid to a plate. Leave the oven on.
- Put the pan on a low heat and add the diced onion and the rest of the ground spices and remaining bay leaves to the pan. Add a pinch of salt and cook
- the onions in the fat and olive oil, stirring often, until soft and sweet, about 8 – 10 minutes
- Add the well-drained rice to the onion mix and stir well.
- Make a well in the middle of the rice mixture and place the kid in it. Add the hot stock or water.
- Bring the pot to a simmer and then return the pan to the oven with the lid tightly on.
- Cook for about 20 – 25 minutes until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from the heat and allow the dish to rest for 10 minutes with the lid on.
- Serve with wedges of lemon to squish at the table and give the rice a final seasoning with salt and generous grinding of fresh black pepper.
