ROAST LAMB WITH POTATOES RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.
  2. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender, then drain. Meanwhile, squeeze the seeds from the tomatoes, and destone the olives.
  3. Heat a lug of oil in a large frying pan over a high heat, add the lamb rack and sear until golden, then remove to a plate.
  4. Crush the drained potatoes and tip into the frying pan, then fry for a couple of minutes over a medium-low heat.
  5. Stir in the tomatoes and olives, then season with sea salt and black pepper. Pick in the rosemary, scatter over the unpeeled garlic cloves, and drizzle with a little oil. Transfer to a roasting tray.
  6. Place the lamb on top of the potatoes. Depending on the size of the racks, the lamb will take somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes to cook, but will still be pink in the middle – use your instincts (add 5 to 10 minutes if you like your meat well done).
  7. When the lamb is cooked to your liking, slice it into chops and serve with the crispy potatoes. Delicious served with a little salsa verde or an extra drizzle of oil.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Use a small sharp knife to make about a dozen incisions, each about 2 inches deep, through the fat that covers the top of the meat. Using a mortar and pestle or a blender, blend 2/3 of the anchovies (or 2/3 of the mustard if using), the rosemary leaves and the garlic cloves into a chunky paste. Using your fingers, press paste deeply into incisions.
• Mix remaining anchovies (or mustard) and the butter into a paste. Smear this mixture all over the surface of the roast. Season liberally with black pepper. (Do not add salt; the anchovies are salty enough, and so is the mustard.) Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up, and squeeze the lemon halves over. Pour the wine around the roast into the pan.
• Roast 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast until internal temperature reaches 130 to 135 degrees (for medium-rare or medium meat), about another 60 to 90 minutes. Baste every 20 minutes or so with the wine and drippings in the pan, adding more wine as needed to keep the liquid from scorching. If possible, for the last 15 minutes of cooking, use convection or a broiler to crisp the fat on the roast.
• Remove pan from the oven, remove rack from the pan, and let the roast rest on the rack for at least 15 to 20 minutes in a warm place, tented with foil. The internal temperature will rise to about 140 to 145 degrees.
• To make sauce from the pan drippings, remove a few tablespoons of fat by tipping the pan and spooning off the top layer. Put the pan over medium heat until the liquid simmers. Taste the simmering liquid and whisk in more wine, 1/4 cup at a time, until the consistency and flavor are right. Do not let the mixture become syrupy; it should be a sharp jus, not a thick gravy.
• Carve lamb into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange on a heated platter, decorated with rosemary sprigs. Serve with piping hot gravy.