ROASTED GOAT LEG WITH HARISSA, TOMATOES, AND ONIONS

INGREDIENTS

• 2 kg bone-in Goat leg
• 1½ tbls Harissa
• 750 gm Roma tomatoes, cored and cut into quarters
• 300 gm Onions peeled and cut into 1 cm wedges
• 6 Garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tbls extra virgin Olive oil
• 1 tsp Sea salt
• ½ tsp freshly gnd Black Pepper
• ¾ cup dry white Vermouth,
• 50 gm dried Chillies, preferably New Mexico or Pasillas
• 1 tsp Coriander seeds
• ½ tsp Cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp Caraway seeds
• 2 Garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• ¾ tsp Sea salt
• 70 ml extra-virgin Olive oil, plus more as needed

METHOD

1. Trim and Season the Goat, Using a sharp, a boning knife and your hands, peel and trim away the leathery membrane, known as caul, and any thick patches of fat. Don’t worry about trimming off every last bit of fat (goat is quite lean and will benefit from a little fat), but you do want to remove any tough caul membrane that pulls away in sheets to expose the meat below. Smear the Harissa over the entire surface of the meat. If seasoning ahead, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let sit at room temperature for about an hour before roasting.
2. Heat the Oven, Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 180 c
3. Season the Vegetables, Combine the Tomatoes, Onions, and Garlic in a bowl. Add the Olive oil, season with Salt and Pepper, and toss to coat. Set aside.
4. Roasting, Place the Goat in a roasting pan just large enough to hold it, and slide it into the oven. After 15 mins, slide the oven rack holding the roasting pan out and tip the vegetables into the roasting pan, scattering them around the meat. Pour the Vermouth over the meat, and slide the rack back in. Close the oven, and reduce the temperature to 140c degrees .
5. After 30 mins at the lower temperature, baste the meat with the pan juices and stir the vegetables; do this again every 20 mins, flipping the leg over after about 1 hour at the lower temperature. Continue roasting, basting, and stirring, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the leg registers about 65 degrees, about 1 hour more.
6. Transfer the meat to a cutting board, preferably one with a trough, and let it rest for 20 to 30 mins. Stir the vegetables, scraping the roasting pan to capture any roasted-on bits. Taste the vegetables for Salt and Pepper, and keep warm until serving.
7. Carve, Start by grabbing hold of the shank end of the leg with your hand or a clean dish towel. Now, either carve thin lengthwise slices of meat from the roast, or, my preferred method, carve off large chunks of meat by sliding the knife as close to the bone as possible and then slice those chunks crosswise into thin slices. This method may look less dramatic and give you smaller slices, but it ensures that you carve the meat across the grain (which means more tender bites) and gives a better mix of doneness, as each slice contains some of the outside and inside of the roast.
8. In most cases, whole goat legs have the pelvic bone intact (this is the convoluted bone that runs laterally at the wide end of the leg). Even the most expert carvers have trouble getting around this bone, so simply do the best you can.
9. Serve, Transfer the sliced Goat to a carving platter or individual plates. Surround with the Tomatoes and Onions and spoon any carving juices over the top.