GINNY’S SLOW-ROAST LAMB WITH ROSEMARY & HONEY

My grandmother Ginny (who passed away this year in inimitable style, as she did everything, on her 102nd birthday) used to roast a leg or shoulder of lamb on a spit by the fire at her home in the coastal town of Sperlonga, just off the Via Appia south of Rome. It’s where my love of Italy grew. She’d use a branch of rosemary, picked from the nearby Aurunci hills, to baste the lamb with honey that would caramelise a deep ebony brown. I cook this recipe in honour of her.

Serves 4

5 sprigs of rosemary 1 good shoulder or leg of lamb, approximately 1.5-2kg (3lb 5oz-4lb 8oz) 3 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into quarters Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1kg (2lb 4oz) red-skinned or yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks 1kg (2lb 4oz) red onions, peeled and quartered with root ends left attached (or wild garlic leaves when in season) 250ml (9fl oz) white wine 6tbsp runny honey Preheat the oven to 220° C/fan 200° C/gas 7. Pick the leaves from 2 of the sprigs of rosemary, then use a small knife to stab the lamb all over. Stuff it with the rosemary leaves and pieces of garlic, then season it well with salt and pepper.

Put the chopped potatoes in a roasting pan just big enough to fit them in a single layer. Season them with salt and tuck 2 more sprigs of rosemary among them. Tuck the red onions among the potatoes as well, then pour half of the wine over and lay the lamb on top. Use the remaining rosemary sprig as a brush to coat the lamb with 2tbsp of the honey.

Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the meat starts to brown on top, then reduce the heat to 160°C/ fan 140°C/gas 3 and bake for another 3 hours or until the lamb is a mahogany brown colour and meltingly tender. During roasting, brush the meat occasionally with a little more honey and add a splash more wine if the base of the pan gets too dark. Remove from the oven and leave to rest before serving.