It’s a little known fact that the one of the best times to eat lamb is in autumn, says Martin Hollis, executive chef at The Old Course Hotel St Andrews. A spring lamb is fed on summer grass and is every bit as tender and tasty as the lamb we eat around Easter.
For this recipe you’ll need a leg of lamb, salt and pepper, 5g of fresh rosemary – finely chopped, 3 garlic cloves – thinly sliced, 50ml of olive oil, 100g of roughly chopped onions, 80g of carrots – roughly chopped, 80g of celery – roughly chopped, 1 bay leaf, 2 extra sprigs of rosemary, 200ml of red wine, 100ml of madeira and 500ml of brown lamb stock.
To start, pre-heat the oven to 230°c. Make small incisions with the point of a knife into the flesh of the lamb and insert small slivers of the garlic into these holes. Mix the chopped rosemary with some salt and pepper and use this to rub into the leg of lamb. Place a large roasting plan onto the stove, add the olive oil and when smoking, add the leg of lamb and brown all over.
Place in the oven and turn down the temperature to 180°c – remember to baste the meat every 15-20 minutes during cooking. Roast until an internal probe temperature of 63°c – 65°c is reached for medium (remember; that the temperature will rise by another 2°c whilst the meat is resting.
Remove from the oven and the tray, cover with foil and store in a warm place for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, pour out most of the fat and place the tray over a medium heat on top of the stove.
Add chopped vegetables and brown well. Add the herbs and a little wine. Reduce to syrup then repeat until all the wine has evaporated.
Finally, repeat with the madeira. Add the lamb stock, bring to boil then skim off any fat and simmer until 250ml remain. Strain into a clean pan through some muslin cloth.
Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Carve the lamb and serve with the gravy and vegetables of your choice.
Chef’s tip
Gratin potatoes and some crisply cooked French beans are the perfect accompaniments with this recipe, along with a good dollop of mint sauce and red currant jelly.
