Michael Cahill Bush-Spiced Lamb with Finger Lime Dressing
- Prep time 2Hr
- Cook time 30Min
- Technique Roast
- Meat Lamb
- Cut Rump
- Serves 120
An Australian take on a Greek-style tabbouleh, this dish features roasted Aussie lamb rump coated in native bush spices such as wattle seed and bush tomato, delivering earthy, coffee-like flavours. The lamb is served with a fresh tomato, feta and herb salad, finished with a bright, zingy finger lime vinaigrette and garnished with a bush tomato and wattle seed crumb. Designed for canapé or cocktail service, it balances richness, freshness and acidity beautifully.
Ingredients
Bush-Spiced Lamb Rump
- 12 kg lamb rump
- 100 g wattle seed
- 100 g bush tomato
- 50 g sea salt
- 50 g finely cracked black pepper
- 6 garlic cloves
- 200 g butter, clarified
Salad
- 3 kg tomatoes
- 500 g Greek feta
- 1 kg red onion
- 3 bunches curly parsley
- 500 g couscous
Finger Lime Vinaigrette
- 50 g finger lime powder
- Juice of 4 lemons
- 400 ml olive oil
- 200 ml cider vinegar
- 100 g seeded mustard
- 10 g sea salt
- 2 g ground white pepper, to taste
Method
Lamb Rump
- Clean the lamb rump and remove the rump cap if necessary.
- Blend the wattle seed in a food processor to a coarse, grain-like consistency.
- Blend the bush tomato to a similar texture.
- Combine the wattle seed, bush tomato, sea salt and cracked black pepper.
- Crush the garlic and mix into the clarified butter.
- Sear the lamb rump on a hot flat grill until well coloured on all sides.
- Roll the lamb in the garlic butter, then coat evenly in the bush spice mixture.
- Place on a lined tray ready for roasting.
- Roast at 140°C until the internal temperature reaches 51°C, allowing for resting and reheating.
- Hold in a hot box at 60°C for service flexibility.
- Reheat at 200°C for 6–8 minutes, then slice and serve.
Salad
- Dice the tomatoes into 20 mm pieces.
- Dice the feta into 20 mm cubes.
- Roughly chop the parsley.
- Finely slice the red onion.
- Place the couscous in a half-size гастро tray and cover with boiling water to 10 mm above the grains.
- Cover tightly with cling film and stand for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cling film, fluff the couscous and refrigerate until cold.
- Combine all salad ingredients, cover and store chilled until required.
Finger Lime Vinaigrette
- Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl and whisk until emulsified.
- Season to taste and set aside.
- Dress the salad only at the last minute, as the acidity will soften the ingredients if added too early.
