This bad boy needs to be ordered at least 48 hours in advance – call Zouk on 0161 233 1090
It’s not every day that you write about eating a FULL LAMB at a restaurant, never mind actually doing it! Well, as the Finest team went down to Zouk last Tuesday our bellies were empty and our hopes were high.
Zouk offer a delightful range of Sunday Roast options, each with a bit of an Indian twist. There’s the slowly cooked Roast Chicken, a huge leg of lamb or their piece de la resistance; a whole stuffed lamb. Each comes loaded with spicy roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables and their signature Zouk spicy gravy.
We’re here to talk about the Whole Stuffed Lamb though and this thing is a beauty. It can easily feed between 15-20 people and even then they’ll all be proper stuffed themselves and probably end up with some serious meat sweats.
The lamb is specially ordered from the butchers at least a day before you dine at Zouk. It’s then prepped for hours.
Firstly, the chefs massage sea salt and lemon to tenderise the meat. Next up is marinating. Using mustard oil locks in all the flavours and juices of the meat to ensure it remains juicy despite being cooked for several hours.
The meat soaks up all the flavours for around 24 hours covered in the special seasoning made by Zouk.
It’s then cooked using a technique called ‘dum pukht’, which cooks the meat low and slow in an air-tight container traditional in Northern Indian cuisine. Once the 8 hours is up, the meat is stuffed with jewellery rice. The yellow rice is filled with raisins, sultanas, cranberries, nuts and carrots.
No roast dinner is complete without roast potatoes, and Zouk’s very own spicy ones bring a welcome Indian twist to a classic. Seasoned with sea salt, paprika, cumin and black pepper the potatoes pack plenty of flavours and a perfect balance with the lamb.
Brought to the table, carefully carried by the chef, the whole lamb is carved. Lashings of the homemade signature gravy is poured over the top to keep everything moist.
Now, things started off really well. Although the lamb itself is the show stopper something has to be said about that rice and those potatoes. They’ve been somewhat of a talking point in the office ever since. Packed FULL of flavour they are seriously good – so much more than ‘rice and potatoes’. They also really helped you out when you needed a break from all that meat.
I have to say we could have done with at least 5 more people to conquer the whole thing. That being said this made an excellent trip out of the office and amazing food for everyone! It also removed the possibility of any food-FOMO when someone orders something different to you which I almost always suffer with.
………………………
Whole Stuffed Lamb at Zouk
Available every day (at least 24 hours notice required)
Cost: Dependent on size of lamb. Telephone to enquire.
Order and book by calling: 0161 233 1090
………………………
Zouk, 5, The Quadrangle, Chester Street, Manchester M1 5QS
0161 233 1090
zoukteabar.co.uk
