Roast Lamb-Welsh Style

Roast lamb cooking as visitors arrive is one of the best cooking smells I know and especially when mingled with the wonderful smell of freshly chopped mint for the mint sauce accompaniment.

Try to purchase Welsh leg of lamb it really does have an exquisite flavour.

I simply rub the outside of the joint with pepper and salt and roast starting by placing the roasting pan in a  cold oven and raising the temperature to 350 deg C. Timing used for this method is 20-25mins per 1 lb of lamb plus 20 minutes plus one third of the amount again. Thus for a leg weighing 4 lbs I chose 4x20+20=100+ 33mins=133mins=2hrs 13mins from start until cooked to perfection.

It is important to make the gravy 'Welsh Grandma' style to best complement the lamb. Add a chopped onion to the roasting pan and cook for the last 1.5 hrs of the roasting time. After the meat is cooked remove to a hot dish to 'rest' whilst finishing the vegetables and gravy. Remove excess fat from the roast pan and leave about 2 tbsp behind. Add 2 tbsp of flour to make a roux and cook this mixture slowly over the hob. Scrape the browned particles on the sides of the pan to incorporate into the sauce. When bubbling strain some of the water from the vegetables into the sauce and add just enough to make a thickened pouring gravy which will have a natural rich brown colour from the caramelised onion and meat juices. Check the seasoning.

Essential too to go with this dish is freshly made mint sauce with plenty of chopped garden mint 1 tsp sugar some hot water and malt vineagar. Leave to marinate for at least an hour before using.

New potatoes and fresh green vegetables and carrots are complementary but roast potatoes would also be great and especially as they can be cooked in the roasting fat and juices to give good flavour.

    Roast Leg of lamb cooked to perfection

                                                                                               Thick brown oniony gravy

 Enjoy!