Roast Leg of Lamb

This weekend, the eldest has been very excited to welcome a guest for a sleepover. I thought it would be a good opportunity to take my leg of lamb out of the freezer, and entertained visions of leaving it all day in the slow cooker, maybe with some sliced onions, a little wine and some redcurrent jelly. No hassle at all. It turned out to be yet another case of my eyes being bigger than... erm... my slow cooker, and I couldn't be bothered to find a saw, so I roasted it in the traditional way.

It's been a lovely afternoon. The eldest and her guest have been keeping each other amused, and the middle stayed in the kitchen to keep me company whilst I cooked. He somewhat spoiled my solitude by watching "The Amazing World of Gumball" on the iPad, at a volume setting louder than my radio, but I wandered over to him every so often to give him a cuddle and a kiss, which more than made up for it.

I admit, I put the lamb back into the oven for another 15 minutes after taking a photo - I prefer lamb to be served pink, but I thought it might be a step too strange for the children. There is plenty left to go into a shepherd's pie next week. I cheated on my gravy and added the scrapings from the tin to a packet of Colman's lamb and mint gravy.

 

Ingredients

• 1 leg of lamb, approx. 2.25kg
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
• 3-4 sprigs of rosemary, tender stems only
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2-3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 glass of white wine

Serves 8-10

(Accompaniments)
Mustard Roast Potatoes

• 1-2 medium/large floury potatoes per person
• 1-2 tsp Colman's English mustard powder
• 2-3 tbsp goose fat
• Salt and ground black pepper

Carrot and Swede Mash

• 1/2 swede, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
• 2 large carrots, cut into 2cm chunks
• 25g butter
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• Salt and pepper to season

 

Instructions

• Using a sharp knife, make several cuts, 2-3cm deep, into the flesh of the lamb. Into each cut, push a sliver of garlic and a few rosemary leaves
• Place the grated lemon zest, lemon juice, and oil into a bowl and add generous amounts of salt and pepper. Mix and massage all over the lamb joint

Push slivers of garlic and rosemary into the cuts, and rub the lamb with the lemon/oil mix

• Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees fan and add the lamb. Cook for 30 minutes, then remove the lamb from the oven, leaving the door open to cool the oven to 170 degrees fan. Pour a glass of white wine over the lamb, and return to the oven
• Roast the lamb at 170 degrees fan for 70 minutes (guideline for pink lamb is 15 minutes per 500g after the initial sizzle)
• Remove from the oven, cover with foil and leave for minimum 30 minutes to rest

Roast leg of lamb

• To make the mustard roast potatoes, peel the potatoes and cut into 2-3 pieces per potato
• Place in a pan and pour over boiling water. Boil vigorously for 7-8 minutes
• Tip the potatoes into a colander or sieve and shake vigorously, to rough up the surfaces
• Return the potatoes to the pan, add the mustard powder, goose fat, salt and pepper. Mix well with a spoon, until all the potatoes are coated in the oil
• Place in a single layer in a roasting tin, and roast at 190 degrees fan for 40-45 minutes, turning once. If you don't have two ovens, roast the potatoes whilst the lamb is resting - it will still be warm as long as it is covered (you can throw a tea towel over the foil for good measure)

• To make the carrot and swede mash, place the carrot and swede pieces in a pan and pour over boiling water
• Boil vigorously for 20-25 minutes until soft
• Drain the vegetables and return to the pan
• Using a masher, mash and mix the swede and carrots. Add the butter and milk, and season with salt and pepper. Mash again, adding more butter and milk if you require, to achieve the desired consistency

Roast lamb dinner with mustard roast potatoes,
swede and carrot mash and broccoli

Roast lamb dinner with mustard roast potatoes,
swede and carrot mash and broccoli