LAMB LEG WITH POTATOES AND FENNEL
There is nothing simpler than a roast leg of lamb. Just smear with a fennel and garlic paste then roast alongside potatoes and fennel bulbs with a squeeze of lemon, it’s an absolute cinch. Allowing the meat to rest before slicing and serving lets the muscles in the meat to relax to ensure juicy and tender results.
Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons fennel seeds, toasted in a dry pan then ground
1 teaspoon flaky salt
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 kilogram leg of lamb
1 head of garlic, broken into cloves but unpeeled
1 kilogram potatoes such as agria, peeled and cut into chunks
2 large fennel bulbs, cut into wedges (fronds reserved)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. With the flat side of a knife, mash the garlic to paste with the salt
Mix with the fennel seeds, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon olive oil
Cut some slits in the lamb then smear with the paste and into the cuts (the meat can marinate in the fridge for up to 2 days ahead if need be)
Place in a large roasting dish with the garlic, potatoes and fennel around the lamb, season with salt, drizzle the lemon juice over the vegetables with the remaining oil and roast for 1 hour 40 mins until the lamb is cooked to medium (allow 25-30 mins per 500 grams for medium, 30-35 mins for well donemeat)
Occasionally turn over the vegetables to brown evenly. If the vegetables are cooked before the lamb, remove from the oven and put onto a separate tray while the lamb finishes cooking
Remove the lamb from the oven and allow the meat to rest for at least 20 mins before carving; while it is resting, return the vegetables to the oven to reheat
To serve: Carve the meat into thin slices and arrange on a platter, drizzling over any cooking juices. Scatter the vegetables with the fennel fronds to serveand arrange around the platter