Roast Leg of Lamb Stab-Stuffed with Garlic, Rosemary and Anchovies

Lamb is my meat of choice right now. The flavour that comes from a leg roasted like this is second to none! Rosemary and garlic are classic flavours with lamb, but the addition of the anchovy just brings an extra sweetness and salty spike. This is terrific with my home-made mint sauce.

Ingredients

2.5kg leg of lamb

2 large onions

2 carrots

2 sticks of celery

50g tin of drained anchovies

7–8 cloves of garlic

Few sprigs of rosemary

Olive oil

Method

• Remove the leg of lamb from the fridge half an hour before you start.

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Peel and cut the onion into thick wedges and roughly chop the carrots and celery and set aside.

• Pat dry an anchovy fillet and wrap it around a peeled, halved garlic clove and a cut piece of rosemary, then stab the lamb and push it into the hole. Do this all over, about fifteen times.

• Drizzle over a little oil and season well, place in a roasting tray with the vegetables and bung it into the oven for 1–1¼ hours, basting the juices over the top once or twice during cooking, until the meat is tender.

• Let it rest out of the oven for 15–20 minutes before carving. There is no real technique to carving – I stand it up holding the bone and cut off thin slices. Serve with your favourite side dishes.