roasted leg of lamb with broad beans, rosemary, sage and lemon

SERVES 8 TO 10

FOR THE LAMB

1 (2.7-kg) whole leg of lamb, bone in 10 sprigs rosemary, plus more for garnish Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper Extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 8 cloves garlic, smashed 1 lemon, thinly sliced, for serving 1 small handful of fresh sage, for serving

FOR THE BROAD BEANS

6 cups fresh shelled broad beans (2.7kg in the pod) Fruity extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

1 Make the lamb. Remove the leg of lamb from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before roasting. Remove any fell (the papery membrane covering the leg of lamb) plus any thick sections of fat. Be sure to leave a thin layer of the fat so the lamb doesn’t dry out while roasting. Pat the lamb dry. 2 Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). 3 Using kitchen twine, tie the roast (see above) to secure the meat for even roasting. Place the sprigs of rosemary under the twine. Season with salt and pepper.

4 In a large roasting pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the lamb and sear, turning, until browned and caramelised on all sides, 6—8 minutes. Add the butter and garlic and, as soon as the butter melts, use a spoon to baste the lamb for a few minutes. Place the pan in the oven and roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat reaches 60°C for medium-rare, about 1 hour. The internal temperature will rise to 65°C upon standing. Let the leg of lamb rest on a warm cutting board for about 20 minutes before carving.

5 Make the broad beans. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and fill a bowl with ice and water. Add the beans to the boiling water and blanch until just tender, 3—5 minutes. Immediately plunge the beans into the ice water to stop the cooking and preserve their colour. Once the beans are cool enough to handle, remove them, then pop off their pale green skins to release the bright green beans. Discard the skins. Place the beans in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

6 Serve the lamb whole on a large platter surrounded with the beans, lemon slices and sage. Garnish with rosemary.

CLASSIC BUTCHER'S TIE Loop one long piece of cotton butcher's twine around the leg of lamb to create an even shape and hold the rosemary. As well as giving a tidier appearance, it will help the meat to roast consistently.