Recipe :: Rosemary Lamb and Potatoes

Perfect meal for a holiday or cold winter day from BBC Good Food...

Main Ingredients:

2½ kg leg of lamb

6 slices Parma ham

4 garlic cloves

lemon , zested - we adapted this and used orange instead which was really good

2 sprigs rosemary - we used more than the original amount

25g butter , softened

2kg maris piper potatoes , peeled and cut into 1cm slices

500 ml vegetable stock

Gravy Ingredients:

25g butter

1 tbsp olive oil

4 small red onions , peeled and sliced

1 tbsp plain flour

250ml red wine or port

600ml lamb or beef stock

1 tbsp redcurrants jelly - we used blueberries instead as didn't have any of this

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Start by making deep incisions all over the meaty side of the leg of lamb using a small knife. Whizz the Parma ham, garlic, lemon zest and half of the rosemary in a food processor. Season with pepper and using your fingers, push the mixture into the incisions in the lamb. Pull the rest of the rosemary into sprigs and push a sprig into each incision. Spread the butter over the surface of the meat and season well.

Season the potatoes, arrange in a roasting tin and pour the stock around. Put the lamb on top and roast for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and continue to cook for a further 1 hour and 15 minutes.

While the lamb is cooking, make the gravy. Heat the butter and olive oil in a saucepan, add the onions and cook until golden brown. Add the flour and cook for a further 30 seconds. Pour in the red wine, bring to the boil and reduce by half. Add the stock, redcurrant jelly and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Season and serve with the lamb and potatoes and enjoy!