Serves 6
Preparation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 1 hour 35 minutes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 leg of lamb, about 1.5 kg (3 lb), trimmed of excess flat
10 juniper berries, crushed
3 garlic cloves, crushed
50 g (2 oz) salted anchovies, boned and rinsed
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs of rosemary
300 ml (½ pint) dry white wine
salt and pepper
Heat the oil in a roasting tin in which the lamb will fit snugly over a medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook until browned all over. Leave to cool.
Pound 6 of the juniper berries, the garlic, anchovies and chopped rosemary with the end of a rolling pin in a bowl, or use a mortar and pestle. Stir in the vinegar and mix to a paste.
Make small incisions all over the lamb with a small, sharp knife. Spread the paste over the lamb, working it into the incisions. Season with salt and pepper. Put the rosemary sprigs in the roasting tin and sit the lamb on top. Pour in the white wine and add the remaining white juniper.
Cover the roasting tin with foil and bring to the boil on the hob, then cook in a preheated oven, 160°C (325°F), Gas Mark 3, for 1 hour, turning the lamb every 20 minutes. Raise the temperature to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6, remove the foil and roast for a further 30 minutes until the lamb is very tender. Serve with roast potatoes and steamed vegetables.
For leg of lamb with lemon & rosemary, omit the juniper berries and pound the grated rind of 2 lemons with the garlic, anchovies and chopped rosemary. Replace the vinegar with 4 tablespoons lemon juice. Spoon the paste over the lamb, working it into the incisions as above, and continue with the rest of the recipe.