ROAST BONE IN LEG OF LAMB RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Remove the lamb from the fridge and allow it to get to room temperature.
• To make the garlic butter, place the garlic and butter in a bowl. Add the rosemary to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mash to a paste with a fork.
• With a sharp thin knife or a metal skewer, make between 30 and 50 small incisions into the flesh of the lamb. They should be large enough for you to stick just your fingertip into. Work the butter mixture into the lamb by massaging it into the meat, trying to work it into the holes that you've created.
• Place the lamb in a roasting tin, cover loosely with foil and place in the preheated oven. As it heats up, the butter will melt and help the rosemary and garlic to work their way into the holes and really penetrate the lamb. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and leave to roast for a further 50–60 minutes for medium or until cooked to your liking. Remove the lamb from the oven and leave to rest for 10–15 minutes, with some foil on top to keep it warm.
• To make the gravy, heat a heavy-based frying pan on the hob. When hot, pour the pan juices from the roasting tin into the pan (be careful as it may splatter). Add the red wine. Turn the heat down and leave the sauce to reduce.
• To thicken the sauce, make a beurre manie by mixing together the flour and butter in a clean bowl to make a paste. Add about a teaspoon of the beurre manie to the pan and whisk well, until the sauce has the desired consistency. Add more if needed.
• To serve, slice the lamb, pour over the gravy and garnish with rosemary. This would be good with potatoes dauphinoise and fresh vegetables for a Sunday lunch.

Steps:

• Lay the lamb, skin-side down, on a board – if the joint you bought is tied up, then snip the strings and unroll it. Cut several pieces of string long enough to tie around the lamb, then slide them under the joint so they’re regularly spaced out. Mix the stuffing ingredients together, and season well. Spread the stuffing out along the middle of the lamb, then fold the meat over to form a roll. Tie the string so the roll stays together, but don’t make it too tight or it will cut into the meat. Tie some string lengthways too, if necessary.
• Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Season the lamb evenly all over. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan, then brown the lamb all over. Start with the side where the seam meets, as this will stop the lamb breaking up when you carve it.
• Tip the veg, garlic and rosemary into a roasting tin and put the lamb on top, seam-side down. Cook the lamb until the core temperature reaches 60C on a meat thermometer – this should take around 1 hr for a 2kg leg. As you rest the lamb, the temperature will continue to rise so don’t overcook it.
• Lift the lamb out of the tin and, keeping it warm, rest for up to an hour. Put the roasting tin on the hob. Add the stock, bring to a simmer, then tip the lot into a saucepan, scraping up any bits. Add 500ml water and then simmer again until reduced by half. Pour through a fine sieve and serve with the lamb.