Blushing Roast Leg of Lamb
A perfectly roasted leg of lamb will give you blushing pink meat that’s tender and juicy and remains a classic for Easter lunch.
2-kilogram bone in leg of lamb, (we used Greenlea butcher)
1 large brown onion, sliced
2 long sprigs rosemary
6 whole cloves skin-on garlic
sea salt and ground pepper
PASTE
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
GRAVY
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1½ cups beef or chicken stock
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 220˚C fan bake.
PASTE: Stir all the ingredients together.
Put the onion, rosemary, garlic and 1 cup of water in a roasting dish.
Rub the paste over both sides of the lamb and season all over with salt and pepper then place in the dish.
Roast for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 180˚C fan bake and roast for 40 minutes.
Carefully transfer the lamb to a warm plate and cover with foil then a couple of tea towels. Leave to rest for 20 minutes.
GRAVY: Discard the sprigs of rosemary (don’t worry about any loose leaves as the gravy will be strained) and squeeze the garlic out of their skins back into the pan.
Place the roasting dish on the stovetop over a low heat and stir in the flour and mustard. Let it bubble up and thicken for 1 minute then gradually stir in the stock, scraping the base of the dish to release all the sticky bits on the base. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 8 minutes. Taste and season with salt if needed. Pour through a strainer into a bowl, pressing on the onions to push the soft bits through. Stir in the lemon juice. Tip into a warm jug for serving.
TO SERVE: Transfer the lamb to a board or platter and using a very sharp knife, carve into thin slices. Serve with the hot gravy and the mint sauce. SERVES 6-8