Eamonn's Spectacular Roast Leg of Lamb

A simple and spectacular looking centrepiece that tastes even better than it looks!

Garlic and rosemary are classic flavours to take a lamb roast to the next level, it being a bolder meat that matches beautifully with these punchier flavours. Slightly more unusual is the addition of anchovy fillets. But don't worry, there won't be any fishy taste after roasting, just a wonderful rich umami-ness that adds bags of flavour to the meat, and the anchovies themselves will melt away to leave a wonderful base for your gravy (if you have anchovies leftover you can make a fantastic pasta sauce like a basic marinara or puttanesca with them).

Note: Leg of lamb should ideally be served pink, so cooking times need to be quite precise.

This roast really is a showstopper for any gathering or celebration!

Eamonn's Spectacular Roast Leg of Lamb

Ingredients

A 1.5kg leg of lamb will easily feed 6 people, or 4 people with plenty of delicious leftovers for sandwiches, impromptu kebabs etc:

• 1 leg of lamb, about 1.5kg

• 3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced lengthways

• 1 small bunch of fresh rosemary, lightly bruised with the back of a knife and cut into 3cm sprigs

• Anchovy fillets from a tin (they don't have to be the fancy ones)

• Juice of 1/2 a lemon

• For the gravy: a glass of red or white wine, 2-3 teaspoons of cornflour mixed into a slurry with water

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. Take a sharp paring knife and make slits all over the meaty top part of the joint, as in the photo above.

3. Place a piece of sliced garlic in each incision, along with a quarter of an anchovy fillet. Then insert the rosemary sprigs, using the stalky part to pack the garlic and anchovy down. Use fingers or the knife to help if needed. Place the meat in a roasting tray that can be put directly on the stove later.

4. Rub a little oil from the anchovy tin over the surface of the meat and squeeze the lemon juice over the joint.

5. Note that you do not need any additional salt at this stage as the anchovies are already salty.

6. Roast for 15 minutes, then turn down the oven to 160°C and leave to cook for another 40 minutes. Take out, remove the meat from the tray to a carving board, cover with aluminium foil and rest for at least 20 minutes.

7. Now is the time to make the gravy. Put the tray on the stove and heat. Add a glass of red or white wine to the juices and fat in the tray, scrape off all of the residue on the bottom and let it bubble for a few minutes. The alcohol will burn off, but you can replace it with chicken stock if preferred.

8. Tip in any juices which have been released from the meat, and check for seasoning. I like a lot of gravy, so will usually add in some extra chicken stock. Then whilst still bubbling, thicken it to your preference with the cornflour slurry and serve piping hot in a jug.

I like to present this with classic double-cooked roast potatoes, and steamed or roasted vegetables (broccoli or cauliflower and carrots) always work well. You could even add in some Yorkshire puddings to soak up all that addictive gravy.

A lovely alternative to lamb leg, where the timings need to be quite exact, would be a shoulder cut which can be roasted low & slow at 160°C under a piece of foil for 2-3 hours and then uncovered for a further 20 minutes at 220°C.