10 hour slow roasted leg of lamb, herb & spice crust, chunky gravy
day one
FOR THE LAMB MARINADE
5 TBSP olive oil
8 plump cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
leaVES FROM 5 sprigS of mint, finely chopped
feathery leaves from 4 stalks of Dill, finely snipped
3 tsp cOLEMANS mint sauce – SEE NOTES
1 small preserved lemon (FLESH + SEEDS removed), FINELY CHOPPED
1 HEAPED tsp ground cinnamon
1 HEAPED TSP garam marsala
2 tbs pomegranate vinegar
generous seasoning of Maldon SALT
FRESHLY GROUND black pepper
day two
you will also need
1 x 1.2 – 1.5kg leg of lamb
2 carrots, medium sized, peeled, topped and tailed
2 stalks celery
1 large brown onion, peeled
6 plump cloves of garlic, peeled
1 bottle white wine
Few sprigs fresh thyme
for the gravy
1 heaped tbsp plain flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
day one
Add all ingredients into a bowl and blend thoroughly to make the lamb marinade.
Pat dry the lamb leg using a paper towel. Make deep incisions into the lamb meat with a small sharp knife through the skin. Wearing a pair of latex gloves, smear the marinade well over the lamb leg, encouraging it into the knife holes.
Place lamb on a roasting rack within a baking tray, cover tightly with foil, and place in the fridge to marinate overnight.
day two
preheat oven to 180˚C / 350˚F.
Cut carrots, celery and onion into small dice-sized pieces.
Take lamb from fridge, lift it along with wire wrack and set aside momentarily.
Add the carrots, celery and onion, garlic cloves, white wine and thyme sprigs into the bottom of the roasting tin. Place the lamb on the rack back in the tin on top of the veggies. Tightly wrap the entire thing in foil as best you can, so no air can escape.
Place in the preheated oven for 20 minutes before turning the temperature down to 140˚C / 284˚F. Allow meat to roast for 4 hours.
At the 4-hour mark, remove from the oven and baste well with the liquid from the bottom of the tin. If you feel it needs more liquid in the bottom of the pan, add more wine or a cup or two of water. Then reseal all the foil and return to the oven for 4 hours.
After 8 hours of roasting, remove all foil, and discard.
Using a slotted spoon, scoop up all the cooked veg from the bottom of the tray and place it into a saucepan. Return the lamb to the oven and cook (uncovered) for an additional hour.
When the lamb is ready, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest. Do not clean out the roasting tin.
to make the gravy
Place the roasting rack onto the cooker hob over medium heat to make the gravy, and add the cooked veg back in.
Disperse evenly around the tray, then scatter over the flour, coating veg well. Pour in the stock, followed by the balsamic and Worcestershire sauce.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to low/medium and simmer, stirring often until thickened.
Break up and squash down veg using a potato masher until you achieve a thick and coarse gravy. Add some water if too thick, or simmer over low heat to reduce more until the consistency is right for you. season to taste before serving.
to serve
Using two forks, shred the lamb away from the bone – it will literally fall apart, and serve alongside the hot chunky gravy.