CLASSIC ROAST LAMB WITH ROAST POTATOES, MASHED SWEDE & MINT SAUCE
2.3kg-2.5kg lamb leg, bone in (ask for the knuckle end of the joint) 1 tsp dried thyme Olive oil for cooking 1kg agria potatoes, peeled, quartered 2 red onions, cut into eighths Steamed runner beans to serve Preheat the oven to 170C. Rub the surface fat of the lamb leg with plenty of salt and the dried thyme. Brush with oil then put in a roasting dish. Put in the oven to roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Salt the water well then bring to the boil and cook until just soft on the outsides. Drain and return to the saucepan over low heat to dry, shaking the pan to roughen the edges. Remove the lamb from the oven and add the onion wedges and potatoes to the roasting dish. Season the vegetables generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper and baste the potatoes with any fat from the lamb that has accumulated in the dish. Roast for 1 hour, turning the potatoes over after 30 minutes and basting the lamb with the pan juices. Reduce the heat to 140C and cook for a further 30 minutes for medium or until cooked to your liking. Remove the lamb from the dish and set aside, covered, on a board to rest for at least 10 minutes. Set the vegetables aside. Serve the lamb, potatoes and beans with the swede mash and mint sauce. Serves: 6 Recipe: Celia Harvey
Swede mash
2 swedes, peeled, cubed 2 Tbsp butter 50ml cream Pinch of grated nutmeg
Put the swedes in a saucepan. Add enough water to just cover them then top with the butter. Cover with a lid and put on the stovetop. Bring to the boil then simmer over low-medium heat for 1 hour or until tender. Drain the swedes then mash with the cream, nutmeg and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot with the lamb.
Mint sauce
2 cups good-quality white-wine vinegar 3⁄ cup sugar
4 1⁄2 cup finely chopped mint leaves Put the vinegar and sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil then simmer for 10-12 minutes or until reduced by half. It should have a slightly syrupy consistency. Remove From the heat and cool for 5 minutes before stirring in the mint leaves. Serve with the lamb.