Roast leg of lamb

Name: Roast leg of lamb
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 lamb leg (approx 2.5kg); Sea salt; Freshly ground white pepper; Olive oil; 1 carrot, peeled and chopped in half; 1 onion, peeled and chopped in half; 1 stick celery, washed and cut in half; 1 head garlic, cut in half

Jeremy and Jane Strode

October 18, 2011

Time:1-2 hours

There are two seasons a year that give us lamb. The first begins in late August and the second in late March.

Ingredients

1 lamb leg (approx 2.5kg)
Sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper
Olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and chopped in half
1 onion, peeled and chopped in half
1 stick celery, washed and cut in half
1 head garlic, cut in half

Method

This would have to be the dish most people think about when lamb is mentioned. It's easy to make andgreat for any gathering. I've never been a fan of studding the meat with flavourings, such as garlic, as the incisions allow precious juices to escape. You want to retain the moisture and maximise the flavour.
Pre-heat oven to 180C. Rub the lamb leg with salt, pepper and olive oil. Place the vegetables and garlic in a roasting tray, place the lamb on top and roast for about 1 hour 40 minutes. This is 40 minutes per kilo but remember no oven is the same, so use this as a guide if you don't have an oven thermometer.
Turn the leg over two to three times during cooking as this helps the meat cook evenly. Remove the lamb from the oven and leave it to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
To serve
Carve slices cutting towards the bone. This means you will be cutting across the grain of the meat, not along it, because the latter can make the meat seem chewy. My two favourite accompaniments would be a creamy potato gratin or classic ratatouille.