Perfect Roast Leg of Lamb

Main courseServes 6

Take your Easter hosting to the next level this weekend with this Roast Lamb recipe from food writer Elaine Lemm. A delicious meat at any time, but especially using young spring lamb, there are many cuts available, but a roast leg of lamb has to be one of the best, and by wrapping the meat, roasting in tin foil and leaving to rest, creates a perfectly succulent result every time. For more recipe inspiration visit: www.elainelemm.com  

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1.4 kg leg of spring lamb

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sea salt

2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 tablespoon butter (softened)

3 tablespoons plain flour

1 small glass of dry white wine

750 ml lamb or chicken stock

Optional: 1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220C/ gas 5
  2. Dry the room temperature lamb with kitchen paper and with a small sharp knife, cut small incisions into the fat (do not pierce the meat) and slip a sliver of garlic into each incision.
  3. Rub the leg all over with oil and season with the salt before placing into the hot oven, uncovered for 1 hour; the fat will splutter, and there will be smoke, so get the fan on high.
  4. Put the rosemary sprigs onto the lamb and wrap the roasting tin and lamb with three layers of aluminium foil. Cover with a thick, folded blanket or several bath towels.
  5. Put the lamb in a warm place and for rare lamb, leave for 6 hours, medium to medium-rare 8. Wrapped like this, the lamb continues to ‘cook’, and will also release a lot of meat juices that you will use for the gravy.
  6. For the gravy, remove the lamb from the roasting tin and put on a plate and cover with the foil.
  7. Put the roasting tin on high heat and once the juices start to bubble, add the wine and stir quickly scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add any meat juices released from the lamb then bring to a boil and finally, add the stock. Let this all bubble away nicely until reduced by at least one-third.
  8. Mix the flour with the butter and once the sauce has reduced bring to a fast boil then add the flour and butter mix. Whisk furiously until thick and go glossy. Season with salt and pepper and strain through a fine sieve into a gravy jug.
  9. Carve the lamb into thick slices and serve immediately.