A perfect pairing

Mint sauce has been served as an accompaniment to roast lamb for centuries, with one simple recipe appearing in 1797 cookbook, The Accomplished Housekeeper and Universal Cook. Its finely chopped leaves are combined with vinegar and sugar to make a piquant sauce which cuts through the fattiness of lamb and aids its digestion. To make: mix 1 bunch chopped mint with 3 tbsp white wine vinegar, 5 tbsp boiling water and 1 tbsp caster sugar. Quantities can be adjusted to taste and it will keep, in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge, for up to eight months.