Roast leg of spring lamb with sea salt and mint sauce
Young spring lamb is sweet and succulent and needs absolutely no embellishment apart from a dusting of salt and pepper and a little fresh mint sauce — made from the first tender sprigs of mint from the cold frame in the kitchen garden.
SERVES
6
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
10
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
115
MINUTES
Ingredients
1 leg of Spring lamb
Maldon or Irish Atlantic sea salt and freshly ground pepper
For the gravy:
600ml (1 pint) lamb or chicken stock
A little roux
Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the garnish:
Sprigs of fresh mint and parsley
Mint Sauce
Method
If possible ask your butcher to remove the aitch bone from the top of the leg of lamb so that it will be easier to carve later, then trim the knuckle end of the leg. Season the skin with salt and freshly ground pepper. Put into a roasting tin.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Roast for 1-1¼ hours approximately for rare, 1¼ –1½ hours for medium and 1½-1¾ hours for well done, depending on size.
When the lamb is cooked to your taste, remove the joint to a carving dish. Rest the lamb for 10 minutes before carving.
Meanwhile make the gravy. Degrease the juices in the roasting tin and add stock. Bring to the boil and whisk in a little roux to thicken slightly.
Taste and allow to bubble up until the flavour is concentrated enough. Correct the seasoning and serve hot with the lamb, roast spring onions and lots of crusty roast potatoes.
