ROASTED LEG of LAMB with a ROUGH MINT SAUCE

The Sunday roast – it has to be a lamb leg, doesn’t it? I like to keep things simple and serve it with a rough mint sauce, which adds just the right amount of fragrant lift. The duck fat-roasted root vegetables would be an excellent accompaniment.

Preparation Time 15 minutes | Cooking Time 1 hour 25 minutes, plus resting | Serves 4–6

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 rosemary sprig, finely chopped

Finely grated zest of ½ lemon and juice of 1

2½ tablespoons olive oil

1 lamb leg, bone in, shank on (about 2.5 kg/5 lb 8 oz)

ROUGH MINT SAUCE

75 g (2½ oz/2½ cups) coarsely chopped mint leaves

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon

1 small garlic clove, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Stir the garlic, rosemary, lemon zest, half the juice and olive oil in a bowl and season. Place the lamb in a roasting tin, drizzle with the oil mixture and rub well all over. Season and roast the lamb, basting occasionally with pan juices, for 1 hour 20 minutes– 1 hour 25 minutes for pink, and another 15 minutes if you prefer well done. Cover the lamb with foil partway through cooking if it browns too quickly. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes, then squeeze over the remaining lemon.

To make the rough mint sauce, blend all the ingredients in a food processor or blender to a purée and season to taste. To serve, carve the lamb and serve with the pan juices and the rough mint sauce on the side.