Roast Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Lemon Potatoes

There is no last-minute sauce to make as stock is poured around the joint halfway through cooking to make the gravy.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2kg leg of lamb
10 cloves garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5kg floury potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
4 tbsp olive oil
4 sprigs each fresh thyme and oregano
300ml hot chicken stock
2 lemons
Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Using the point of a sharp knife, score the fat of the lamb all over with diagonal criss-cross lines. Peel and slice 2 of the cloves of garlic. Make slits in the lamb along the scored lines and press the garlic slices into them. Sprinkle the lamb with the juice of ½ a lemon and season.
2. Thickly slice the unpeeled potatoes and spread over a large roasting tin. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss together to coat. Scatter over the remaining unpeeled garlic cloves with the herb sprigs and seasoning. 

3. Place the lamb on top of the potatoes and roast for 1 hour, then squeeze the juice from the remaining 1½ lemons and pour over the potatoes with the stock. Continue to roast for a further 30-40 minutes, adding more stock if it starts to dry out.
4. Transfer the lamb to a serving platter, cover tightly with foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes. Transfer the potatoes and pan juices to a warm dish and keep warm in the oven. Carve the lamb into thick slices and serve with the potatoes. Make sure each person gets a clove of garlic to spread over the lamb.

Tip

Grate the zest from the lemons and use it to make the dressing for the spring vegetables.