Provence to Pondicherry by Tessa Kiros, R550, Pan MacMillan SA, is a travelling gourmet’s delight. Tessa explores French culinary influences in far-flung destinations, where you’ll find French-inspired classics with a twist

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 6 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and chopped
  • 2T chopped rosemary
  • 1T thyme leaves
  • 6T olive oil
  • 1 small leg of lamb (about 1,2kg)
  • 20 large cherry tomatoes (10 halved and 10 left whole)
  • sea salt and freshly grounded black pepper, to taste
  • ¾ cup white wine

TO SERVE

  • thyme leaves

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  2. In a small bowl, mix the garlic, anchovies, rosemary and thyme leaves with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the oil into the base of a roasting tin that will fit the lamb and tomatoes.
  3. Make 3 incisions, about 2cm deep, on each side of the lamb. Stuff the herb mixture into the incisions and rub all over the lamb. Rub the surface with a little salt (not too much as the anchovies are salty) and a generous grind of pepper, then put the lamb in the baking dish, presentation side down.
  4. Surround the lamb with the tomatoes. Lightly sprinkle them with salt and pepper and drizzle with the last tablespoon of oil. Roast for 30–40 minutes until the lamb is golden and the tomatoes are starting to look gooey.
  5. Turn the lamb over, move the tomatoes around if necessary and check that nothing is burning. Add ½ cup of the wine, reduce the oven to 180°C and roast for a further 30 minutes.
  6. Add the remaining wine to ensure that the sauce around the lamb is jammy and tomatoes aren’t blackening and roast for a final10–15 minutes. The cooking time will depend on the size of the leg of lamb. I like this dish with meat cooked through, and with a jammy, gooey sauce.
  7. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Transfer the lamb and tomatoes to a platter and serve warm garnished with fresh thyme.

(Serves 6)