Roast Leg Of Lamb

 Believe it or Not..This Is French Cuisine. Roast lamb with lots of garlic is a very French thing. Traditionally it would have been a leg of mutton, slow-cooked for several hours. This recipe has more of a modern twist and the lavender adds a taste of Provence, a region famous for its lavender fields. You do need to marinate the lamb the day before cooking. Once roasted, the juices make the most wonderful sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 kg leg of lamb 

1 garlic bulb, unpeeled and halved horizontally

 8 lavender sprigs, flower heads only 

150 ml olive oil

 6 garlic cloves, peeled and halved 

2 shallots, unpeeled and halved 

1 pinch sea salt 

1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Put the lamb in a cling film-lined roasting tin that fits in the fridge and season with black pepper (don't season with salt now, as it draws the blood out of the lamb. Salt is always added just before cooking meat).

 Add the garlic bulb and 6 heads of the lavender and pour 90ml/3fl oz/generous 1/3 cup of the oil over the top. Rub the seasoning in thoroughly, then wrap the lamb in the cling film and leave in the fridge overnight.

 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Unwrap the lamb, put it back in the roasting tin with the garlic bulb and dab it with kitchen towel. Pierce it several times with a sharp knife and push a halved garlic clove inside each opening. Add the shallots to the pan, pour the remaining oil over the top, season with salt and pepper and then roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour until golden brown on the outside but still pink and moist inside. Remove the lamb from the tin and wrap it in foil to keep warm. 

Pour 100ml/3.5fl oz/scant 1/2 cup water in the roasting tin to deglaze, then return to the oven and cook for 3-4 minutes until reduced. This will gather all the flavours from the caramelization of the meat and give you the concentrated juice you need.

 Unwrap the lamb. You will find some juice has also gathered in the foil – add it to the juice in the roasting tin, stir and set aside. Slice the lamb, then drizzle it with the juice, sprinkle with the remaining lavender flowers and serve with sautéed potatoes.

There you have it...Enjoy!