Ingredients
- 2kg rolled gigot lamb
- 2 large onions, thickly sliced
- 4 to 5 cloves garlic, finely sliced
- Rosemary, small bunch cut into 2cm sprigs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Freshly ground salt and pepper, to season
- Roasted New Potatoes:
- 1 ½ lb small new potatoes (red or yellow skins), cleaned and halved or quartered
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 to 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- ¼ tsp cooking salt
- Freshly ground pepper, to season
- To Serve (if desired):
- Spring Vegetables (e.g. courgettes, green beans, peas, asparagus, mangetout, broccoli)
- Gravy (i.e. made using the meat juices and onions)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C / 428 F / Gas Mark 7.
- Firstly, using a small sharp knife, make small cuts into the lamb (i.e. at an angle, going approximately 5cm into the leg), distributed evenly across the whole surface of the meat. Then, insert a small sprig of rosemary and a slice of garlic into each cut, pressing it into the meat with your finger.
- Next, season the entire surface of the lamb with salt and pepper, before rubbing olive oil evenly over the whole surface of the meat.
- Cover the base of a roasting tin with the onion slices and place the prepared lamb on top of them. Roast for 20 minutes.
- Lower the oven to 190 degrees C / 375 F / Gas Mark 5 and roast the lamb for another 60 to 80 minutes (i.e. depending on how well done you would like the lamb to be). [NB: The temperature in the centre of the lamb should be between 55 degrees C (i.e. medium) and 70 degrees C (i.e. well done) when tested with a thermometer.]
- Whilst the lamb is cooking, begin preparing the potatoes.
- Place the potatoes in a large bowl and add the garlic, olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper; toss them until the potatoes are fully and evenly coated in seasoning.
- Now, take a sturdy roasting pan and spread the potatoes out in a single layer. Place the pan in the oven and roast for at least 40 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and browned. [NB: This may take a little longer than 40 minutes, as the oven will be at a slightly lower temperature for the lamb than it would be if you were just roasting the potatoes by themselves.]
- Once the lamb is cooked to your liking, remove it from the oven. Place the lamb onto a warm serving plate, cover it with foil, and leave it to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
- You can use this resting time to: - Cook any spring vegetables, as desired. - Make gravy (i.e. using the meat juices and onions), if desired.
- Once everything is ready, carve the lamb and serve on warm plates with the roasted new potatoes, vegetables and gravy (if desired).