Irish Half Lamb Leg

Mon, 29 March 2021

Andrew Rudd is making Irish Half Lamb Leg for Easter!

IRISH HALF LAMB LEG (1 – 1.3 KG AVERAGE WEIGHT)

 

Cooking Times & Temperatures

Lamb should be roasted 20 mins per 500g, plus an extra 20 mins. Weigh meat in advance of roasting to work out cooking times. Cook at 230°C fan (gas mark 8) for the first 10 mins and then 180°C fan (gas mark 6) for the remaining time (MEDIUM WELL). Rest lamb for 10 minutes before carving.

 

Serves: 4

Cooking time: 60 minutes (plus 10 minutes to rest)

Target internal temperature: 65°C (medium well)

Preheat the oven to 230°C fan (gas mark 8)

 

INGREDIENTS

 

Lamb

-           1 New Season Spring Irish Half Lamb Leg

-           50ml olive oil

-           6 garlic cloves

-           6 small sprigs of fresh rosemary

-           3 anchovies, each cut in 2

-           Salt & pepper

 

Jus

-           100g cold, unsalted butter, cubed

-           2 shallots, peeled and finely diced

-           1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

-           2 garlic cloves, crushed

-           Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

-           500ml concentrated chicken stock

-           150ml red wine

-           1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

 

Mint Sauce

-           1 bunch of fresh mint

-           1 tbsp (20g) sugar

-           3 tbsp (60ml) red wine vinegar

-           3 tbsp (60ml) water

 

METHOD

 

For the lamb

-           Make sure to remove the lamb from the fridge at least one hour before you are going to cook it, to allow it to come back up to room temperature. Make 6 incisions in the lamb with a sharp knife. Insert 1             garlic clove, 1 rosemary sprig and ½ anchovy slice into each of the 6 incisions. Drizzle olive oil over the lamb with a sprinkle of salt and pepper

-           To sear the lamb, heat a non-stick frying pan with a little vegetable oil in it. When it is very hot, add the lamb and sear it on all sides for 2 minutes on each side until evenly browned all over. Place in a             roasting tin and into the oven for approx. 10 minutes (see cooking instructions below). Reduce to 180°C fan (gas mark 6) and cook for a further 50 minutes.

-           Remove from the oven. Cover with a damp tea towel and then tin foil and allow to rest in a warm oven (65–70°C) for at least 10 minutes before carving.

 

For the jus

-           To prepare the jus, sauté the shallots, rosemary and garlic in 50g of the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add the stock, balsamic vinegar and red wine, bring up to the boil and then reduce to a             simmer. Let the jus gently simmer until the liquid has reduced in volume by half. Remove from the heat. Check the seasoning and add more if needed.

-           After the lamb has been cooked, strain the meat juices from the pan into the jus. Then gently heat the gravy and whisk in the remaining 50g of cubed butter, until the butter is melted. Set aside for 5             minutes and then scoop off any fatty residue from the top of the jus.

 

For the mint sauce

-           To make the mint sauce, dissolve the sugar in the liquid and bring to the boil. Allow to cool and add the chopped mint leaves.

 

Andrews Tips

Strain the jus to remove the shallots and garlic if you like.  You can also thicken the jus with a roux if you like

 

Serving Recommendations

-           Mashed Potatoes

-           Braised Leeks, peas & mint

-           Roast Carrots