Some people were a little bit upset about the lovely shots of the cute, cuddly little lambs yesterday and I got asked how I could possibly think about eating them! I appreciate that it is a sensitive subject for some, but I'm not sure I'm going to help things along when I post today's recipe for roast lamb! All I can say is non meat eating lamb lovers AVERT YOUR EYES! I guess it does come back to making the choices on the types of meat you buy, I know I would prefer to know I am eating a piece of meat from an animal that has been treated well and has had an excellent standard of life.
Ethics aside, lamb is absolutely delicious and right now it is very much in season! Traditionally if my parents were ever "down the country", they would always come back with a leg of lamb for the Sunday roast, claiming it was best you could get. You know what? I think they were right, it must be something to do with the country air! There are lots of different ways to cook lamb, but this is one of the easiest and certainly in my mind the most traditional.
Simple Garlic and Rosemary Roast Lamb
Most meats really benefit from the roasting process and lamb is no different. As it is in season now, it needs very little work to bring out the really fantastic natural flavours of the meat. Roasting it with the classic combination of rosemary and garlic is simply the only way to go in my books! You get delicious, mouthwatering end results with a kitchen filled with amazing aromas! Normally I would roast lamb on the bone, so just adapt with whatever cut you can get your hands on.
Serves 6-8
1 leg of lamb, boned and rolled
A few cloves of garlic, sliced into thick studs
A few sprigs of fresh rosemary
A generous sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper
250ml of lamb stock (or use beef or vegetable if you are stuck)
Preheat the oven to 180oC/ Gas Mark 4.
Place the lamb in a large roasting tray and using the point of a sharp knife make holes all over the lamb about 2-3cm apart.
Insert some rosemary and a stud of garlic in each hole. Season generously with sea salt and ground black pepper.
Place in the oven and depending on the weight of the leg, roast for approximately 25-30 minutes per pound for medium rare. Alternatively check the lamb with a meat thermometer, 145oF for medium rare.
Remove the cooked lamb from the pan and allow to rest on serving dish.
Tip the juices to one corner of the pan and spoon off the fat. Place the pan on the hob and add the stock. Bring to the boil and make sure to whisk all the caramelised meat juices from the sides of the tray. Decant to a small jug. You can add a little roux while it comes to the boil if you want a thicker sauce.
Serve slices of lamb with a little of the gravy some roast potatoes and steamed asparagus.
