Roast Leg of Lamb with Roast Potatoes and Mint Sauce

Ingredients (serves 6)

2kg Leg of lamb (this was Herdwick)

1 bulb of garlic

1 bunch of fresh rosemary

1.5 kg potatoes

1 lemon

olive oil

sea salt

cracked black pepper

MINT SAUCE

1 bunch of fresh mint

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons wine vinegar

sea salt

Cooking instructions

1. Remove the lamb from the fridge 1 hour before you want to cook it.
2. Preheat the oven to 220°C and place a roasting tin on the bottom rack. This is for the potatoes.
3. Crush 3 garlic cloves, roughly chop 2/3 of the rosemary and peel and chunky chop the potatoes.
4. Add the crushed garlic and chopped rosemary to a bowl, finely grate in the lemon zest and drizzle in a good lug of olive oil. mix well and set aside. This is your marinade.
5. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, then drizzle with the marinade and rub all over the meat. Place on the hot bars of the oven above the tray.
6. Parboil the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes, then drain and toss gently in the colander to scuff up the edges, then tip back into the pan.
7. Add any remaining marinade, the left-over sprigs of rosemary, and whole garlic cloves to the potatoes and season with salt and pepper and drizzle of olive oil.
8. Tip the potatoes into the hot tray and place back under the lamb to catch all the lovely juices.
9. Cook the lamb for 1 hour 15 minutes if you want it pink, or 1 hour 30 minutes if you like it more well done.
10. For the mint sauce, pick and finely chop the mint leaves, then in a small bowl add the sugar, a good pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon of hot water and the vinegar. Mix well.
11. When the lamb is cooked to your preference, remove from the oven and leave to rest for 15 minutes or so. Carve and serve with the roast potatoes, mint sauce and some seasonal greens.

Enjoy!