Rebecca's Matariki Slow Roasted Lamb & Kūmara

This week's recipe is a special one, straight from my heart and my whānau this Matariki.

Watching our country embrace Matariki has been so meaningful to me. It has helped me reconnect with my own whakapapa and feel a deeper sense of pride in who I am. Its reminder to me that when we make space for each other's stories, we give people permission to embrace their own.

My Slow Roasted Lamb & Kūmara celebrates some of the simplest gifts from our whenua. Humble, seasonal ingredients, slowly cooked and shared around a table. It's a reflection of the home I grew up in. There was always enough to go around. If someone unexpected arrived, another few pieces of kūmara went into the roasting dish, another place was set at the table, and everyone was made to feel welcome. We never measured generosity by what was on the plate, but by whether people felt they belonged.

To me, that's manaakitanga.

As I make this recipe this Matariki, I'll be thinking of my Nanny with deep gratitude. She passed away when I was young, but her spirit lives on in our whānau. I see it in my dad, and in the quiet acts of kindness, hospitality and care that continue to shape my life, and the heart of Angel.

I hope this recipe finds its way to your table this Matariki, and that there is always room for one more.

Ngā mihi nui,
Becs
Rangitāne o Wairau

Ingredients

2 red onions, roughly chopped
1.5kg orange kūmara, cut into generous chunks
1.2kg lamb shoulder, cut into chunks (or lamb chops)
4 tbsp chopped continental parsley
3 heaped tsp cumin seeds
½ cup extra virgin olive oil (¼ cup if using lamb chops)
5 ripe Roma tomatoes, thickly sliced
3 tbsp butter (or a drizzle of extra olive oil)
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C.

Place the onion, kūmara and lamb into a large roasting dish. Season generously with salt and cracked black pepper.Add the parsley, cumin seeds and olive oil, then toss everything together until well coated

Arrange the tomato slices over the top, season lightly, dot with the butter (or drizzle with olive oil), then pour ½ cup of water into the dish.

Cover tightly with foil and roast for 2 hours, until the lamb is beautifully tender and the kūmara is soft.

Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 200°C, and cook for another 45 to 60 minutes, until everything is golden and caramelised around the edges.

Serve straight from the roasting dish with fresh bread, couscous or a simple green salad.

Rebecca's note: The best thing about this recipe is that there's always room for one more. If someone unexpected turns up, just add another kūmara, another onion, and another place at the table.