Se r v e s 8 – 1 0

This is a classic Sunday lunch to savour. My favourite time to eat this dish is between spring and early summer when mint and redcurrant are in season and the lamb has a mild, sweet flavour. Serve both sauces with the lamb, if you wish, or just one or the other.

• 1 leg of lamb (2.5–3.5kg/ 5H–7Ilb)
• 1 large sprig of rosemary
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Mint sauce or redcurrant jelly to serve

For the gravy

• 600ml (1 pint) chicken stock
• 15–25g (H–1oz) roux
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C (400F), Gas mark 6.
2. Place the joint in a roasting tin and make several deep incisions widthways across the top using a sharp knife. Pull the tufts of rosemary from the stalk and push them into each incision with a slice or two of garlic (it’s fine if they are left poking out a bit). Season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Roast the lamb for 20 minutes, then turn the heat down to 180C (350F), Gas mark 4, and cook for a further 1G–1H hours. Baste the lamb  occasionally by spooning the hot melted fat in the tin over the meat.
4. When the lamb is cooked, remove it from the tin, cover with foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes – somewhere warm if possible (like on a plate/baking tray in a low oven). Meanwhile, make the gravy.
5. Place the roasting tin on a medium heat and deglaze with a little of the chicken stock, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping any sticky bits from the bottom, then follow the instructions for making gravy.
6. Carve the rested lamb into slices and serve with the gravy, mint sauce or redcurrant jelly, roast potatoes and your choice of vegetables. The sticky cumin and apricot roast carrots and parsnips (see opposite) would go perfectly with this.

Related posts:

1. Rachel Allen’s Sticky Cumin & Apricot Roast Carrots and Parsnips
2. Rachel Allen’s Quick Swiss Cheese Fondue
3. Taste Bud Ticklers