Roast Leg of Lamb with Madeira Gravy
This recipe for roast leg of lamb, as seen on the BBC series, Britain's Best Home Cook, is infused with flavours of garlic, rosemary and lemon and perfect for a knockout Sunday lunch.
Introduction
Infused with garlic, rosemary and lemon, this roast lamb is sublime with the rich and indulgent gravy.
Ingredients
| 2kg (4¾lb) | leg of lamb, bone in |
| 8 | garlic cloves, thickly sliced |
| 2 | rosemary sprigs, leaves removed |
| grated zest of 1 lemon | |
| 2 tbsp | olive oil |
| 1 | onion, peeled and cut into wedges |
| 350ml (12fl oz) | Madeira |
| 600ml (1 pint) | water |
| 40g (1½oz) | unsalted butter |
| 2 tsp | cornflour |
| sea salt and black pepper |
Method
Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 1¾ hours, plus resting.
1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/180˚C fan/gas 6.
2. Make deep incisions all over the lamb and stuff with the garlic slices and half the rosemary leaves. Rub the lemon zest and olive oil all over the surface of the lamb. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Put the onion wedges into a roasting tin, sit the lamb on top and roast for 1 hour. Pour 200ml (7fl oz) of the Madeira and half of the water into the tin and return to the oven for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven, transfer the lamb to a warmed serving dish, cover with foil and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.
5. Tip the contents of the roasting tin into a pan, together with the remaining rosemary, Madeira and water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly reduced. Strain everything through a sieve into a jug, pressing through as much liquid as possible.
6. Melt the butter in a frying pan over a low heat. Stir in the cornflour until you have a smooth paste and cook, stirring all the time, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the strained liquid, a little at a time, until smooth. Simmer for 10 minutes over a low heat, stirring frequently, until thickened. Add any juices that have come out of the lamb while resting and stir well. Carve the lamb and serve with the gravy.
