Roast Leg of Spring Lamb with Jukes 6

Roast Leg of Spring Lamb with Jukes 6

(for 4 people)

This is one of the finest lamb recipes imaginable.  I remember my mother using tinned anchovies in lamb gravy to add an extra dimension of flavour, and even friends who dislike anchovies adore this dish.  It is also a stunning match with Jukes 6.

Ingredients 

1 half-leg of lamb weighing 1.2 - 1.5kg

1 pot (95g) or 2 tins (47.5g) of Ortiz anchovy fillets

5 large cloves of Garlic – peeled and sliced into shards

A small pot or a couple of sprigs of Rosemary

100g Salted Butter

Cracked black pepper

300ml White wine

100ml Sherry vinegar

 

Method

Preheat your oven to 200C.  Push a slim, sharp knife into the lamb leg, making a series of 3cm-deep incisions 6cm apart.  Drain the anchovies of their oil, lay half an anchovy over each cut, and then push it into the hole along with a couple of shards of garlic and a small sprig of rosemary.  You can use your finger or the end of a teaspoon for ease.  Soften the butter, fold in plenty of cracked black pepper, and rub this mixture all over the leg of lamb.  Put any remaining rosemary on the base of a roasting tin, place the lamb on top and pour the white wine and vinegar around the tin.  Lay any remaining anchovies on top of the leg of lamb and roast for 20 minutes at 200C.  Then turn the oven to 170C and cook for an additional hour before taking it out of the oven to rest for 15 minutes under some kitchen foil.

Pour the pan juices through a sieve into a small saucepan and let them boil gently and thicken.

Carve the lamb, dress with the gravy and serve with mashed potato or boiled Jersey Royals and spring greens.