Recipe: Roast leg of lamb with garlic and anchovies
I’m going to take this opportunity to say that lamb occupies an overrated position in the culinary calendar when you consider the treatment that mutton and hogget receives. All the same, spring is the time for lamb and lamb is certainly very delicious. A recent trip to the sunny french countryside inspired an umami-filled banquet that featured oysters, seasonal asparagus and this delicious leg of roast lamb.
Getting the cooking time right for something like a leg of lamb is notoriously tricky and in any case has changed over the years as the fashion has been for pinker and pinker meat (lamb is not served 'rare' but 'rosé'). The only way to be sure is to do things a little technically, with a meat probe and a good thermometer: you want the centre of the meat to reach 58℃ and then to give it plenty of time to rest (like half and hour should do it) under some foil and a folded tea towel.
Ingredients:
1 x leg of lamb 1 x jar of anchovies 1 x head of garlic
A good fistful of rosemary
A good fistful of sage leaves 150g butter, softened 1 glass fruity red wine 1 tsp redcurrant jelly (or whatever you have)
Method:
1. Remove the leg of lamb from the fridge some time in advance so that the meat reaches room temperature before it goes in the oven, which is essential for it to cook evenly.
2. Check for anything that needs trimming: if the leg is still covered by the thin paper skin or 'parchment' then this needs to be removed and any egregiously large bits of fat hanging around can also be trimmed away.
3. Pre-heat the oven to a moderate temperature 180℃ should do it.
4. Roughly chop the herbs, garlic and anchovies. Then, in a mixing bowl, combine the soft butter and the herby fishy mix with plenty of salt and pepper.
5. Score the meat to a depth of about 1cm diagonally in one direction and then again in a perpendicular direction to achieve a squared or diamond pattern all over the leg. Spread the butter mixture liberally over the leg of lamb ensuring an even covering.
6. Cook a roasting tin in the centre of the oven for 1 hour for a whole leg or 40 minutes for a half leg with the bones left in. Baste halfway through.
7. Remove the joint from the tin and set aside, covered by tin foil and a folded tea towel.
8. Place the tin over a confident heat, add the wine and stir very vigorously to lift all of the caramelisation, the 'sucs', from the bottom of the pan. Add a little water and the redcurrant jelly. Reduce to the desired constituency. It is not necessary to thicken the jus with flour or arrowroot.
Tip: If you like you can check the progress of the cooking in the finally stages by skewering the meat with a sharp implement and watching the changing intensity of the juices that emerge. A light pink colour and the meat is ready.