Slow Roast Persian Lamb with Aromatic Rice - Lavender and Lovage

Ingredients

• 1 Organic leg of lamb (about 2kg to 2.2kg)
• fresh mint (large bunch, finely chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 1 teaspoon coriander, ground
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon Ras-el-hanout
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom pods, ground in a pestle and morrtar
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• Juice and zest of two lemons
• 200g Basmati rice
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• pinch saffron threads soaked in 1tbsp milk
• 2 cinnamon sticks