Honey Spiced Easter Leg of Lamb with Thyme Potato Dauphinoise

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the dauphinoise

- 6- 7 large Egan’s Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (use a mandolin)

- 2 medium Nature’s Pick Sweet Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (use a mandolin)

- 2 Nature’s Pick Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

- 2 tsp Chopped Thyme

- ½ tsp Ready,Set…Cook! Paprika

- ½ tsp Nutmeg

- 350ml Clonbawn Cream

- 200ml Clonbawn Milk (may need more depending on the size of potatoes)

- Ready, Set…Cook! Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

- 50g Emporium Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano

For the lamb

- Leg of Butcher’s Selection Lamb, trimmed

- 2 Nature’s Pick Garlic Cloves, chopped

- 3 tbsp Grandessa Honey

- 2 tsp Coriander Powder

- 4 tbsp Specially Selected Rapeseed Oil

- 6 small sprigs of Rosemary

- 100ml Specially Selected Pinot Noir

- 100ml Quixo Vegetable Stock

- 2 Nature’s Pick Onions, peeled and sliced thickly

- 2 Nature’s Pick Garlic bulbs, halved

- 2 Nature’s Pick Lemons, halved

For the carrots

- 400g Egan’s Irish Carrots with tops, peeled and cut in lengths (julienned)

- 1 tsp Ready, Set…Cook! Ground Cumin

- ½ tsp Ground Coriander

- 2 tbsp Grandessa Honey

- 1 tbsp Kilkeely butter

- 2 tbsp Specially Selected Rapeseed Oil

For the gravy

- Juices from the roasting tray

- 220ml Quixo Vegetable Stock

- Roux, to thicken

- Ready, Set…Cook! Salt and freshly ground black pepper

- Sprigs of Rosemary and Bay Leaves, to garnish

Method

To prepare the potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Brush a gratin dish with melted butter. Place the sliced potatoes into a clean tea towel and pat dry. Place half the slices on the base of the gratin dish, side by side. Sprinkle over half the garlic, thyme and half of the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Add a layer of the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle over the remainder of the garlic and thyme. Heat the cream and milk, add the nutmeg, paprika and a little more seasoning. Remove from the heat. Pour half over the sweet potatoes in the gratin dish.

3. Layer up all the other potato slices. Pour the rest of the warm cream over. Ensure the cream mix comes to about 1 cm from the top of the potatoes.

4. Sprinkle over the remaining grated parmesan and place in the oven for about an hour until the potatoes are cooked and the top is golden.

To prepare the lamb

1. Combine the garlic, honey, coriander powder and oil and brush on the leg of lamb.

2. Make 6 small incisions in the lamb. Place the rosemary sprigs into each incision.

3. Season the lamb with salt and black pepper.

4. Place the onion slices into a roasting tray and transfer the lamb on top of them.

5. Pour in the red wine and stock and place in the oven to roast for about 40 minutes.

6. Add the garlic bulb and lemon halves.

7. Roast for a further 30 minutes or until the lamb is done to your likeness. Insert a thermometer to check.

8. Leave to “rest” for 20 minutes before carving.

To prepare the carrots and gravy

1. Trim the tops, wash, and then steam the carrots for 15 minutes until tender. Heat a large frying pan, add the rapeseed oil and butter, add the carrots and drizzle over the honey and a little cumin and coriander. Lower the heat and leave to brown on all sides until golden.

2. To make the gravy, pour the juices from the roast lamb into a jug and scoop off the fat, then pour the sweet juices into a saucepan, add vegetable stock and sprinkle in the roux, whisk well and heat through for the gravy to thicken.

3. Pour into a serving jug and keep warm.

4. To serve, place the lamb onto a serving platter, arrange the garlic bulbs, bay leaves, rosemary sprigs and lemon around the lamb.

5. Serve with the potato dauphinoise and honey carrots.

Tip 1: Allow 15 - 20 mins per 500g plus an additional 15 minutes to roast lamb. For safety, core temperature should read 72c

Tip 2: To make roux, melt 2 tbs butter in the microwave, remove and stir in 2 tbsp plain flour. Mix well and return to the microwave for 30 seconds.