Dairy-free, cooks in 1 hr 35 min (plus resting time), is relatively hassle-free, and serves eight people. You cannot go wrong with this recipe.
Nutrition per serving:
- Calories (307, 15%)
- Fat (13.1 g, 19%)
- Saturates (4.5 g, 23%)
- Sugars (1.5 g, 2%)
- Salt (0.8 g, 13%)
- Protein (23.7 g, 47%)
- Carbs (24.9 g, 10%)
- Fibre (1.9 g, 0%)
Ingredients
2 kg leg of lamb or hogget
1 bulb of garlic
half a bunch of fresh rosemary
1.5 kg potatoes
1 lemon
olive oil
Mint sauce
1 bunch of fresh mint
1 tsp. sugar
3 tbsp. wine vinegar
Method
1. Remove the lamb from the fridge 1 hr before you want to cook it, to let it reach room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6 and place a roasting dish for the potatoes on the bottom.
3. Break the garlic bulb up into cloves, then peel three, leaving the rest whole. Pick and roughly chop half the rosemary leaves. Peel and halve the potatoes.
4. Crush the peeled garlic into a bowl, add the chopped rosemary, finely grate in the lemon zest and drizzle in a good lug (little over a tbsp.) of oil, then mix together.
5. Season the lamb with sea salt and black pepper, then drizzle with the marinade and rub all over the meat. Place on the hot bars of the oven above the tray.
6. Parboil the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 10 min, then drain and allow to steam dry. Gently toss the potatoes in a colander to scuff up the edges, then tip back into the pan.
7. Add the remaining rosemary sprigs and whole garlic cloves to the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, then drizzle over a good lug of oil. Tip the potatoes into the hot tray and place back under the lamb to catch all the lovely juices.
8. Cook the lamb for 1 hr 15 min if you want it pink, or 1 hr 30 min if you like it more well-done.
9. Meanwhile, make the mint sauce. Pick and finely chop the mint leaves, then place in a small bowl. Mix in the sugar, a good pinch of salt, 1 tbsp. of hot water, and the vinegar.
10. When the lamb is cooked to your liking, remove from the oven and leave to rest for 15 min or so. Carve and serve with the roast potatoes, mint sauce, and some seasonal greens.
Tips
Try putting a few parsnips or carrots in with the roast potatoes.
You do not have to cover a leg of lamb while it is in the oven for it to roast beautifully. You may just want to cover it with foil while it rests after cooking to keep it nice and hot.
For a 2 kg leg of lamb, 200°C/400°F/gas 6 is the optimal cooking temperature.– www.jamieoliver.com–
