James Martin Leg Of Lamb Food

RAIN-OR-SHINE LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Take the lamb out of the fridge an hour or so before cooking to allow it to come up to room temperature. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 or light the barbecue. Mix together the oil, caraway seeds, thyme and parsley with lots of salt and pepper. Smear this all over the lamb, rubbing it well into the meat. You can do this up to a day before.
• If you are cooking the meat on the barbecue, wait until the fire has died down and the coals are white and glowing. Lay the meat, skin-side down, onto the bars and cook for 15 mins. Flip over and cook for a further 15 mins for slightly pink lamb, or 5 mins longer if you want the meat well done. Remove and leave to rest on a tray, covered with foil, for at least 15 mins. To cook the lamb in the oven, place it on a large shallow baking tray, cook for 15 mins, then turn down the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and cook for a further 15 mins. Leave to rest for 15 mins. Once the meat has rested, slice it up and pour over any juices from the resting tray.

HERB-CRUSTED LEG OF LAMB WITH RED WINE GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Use a sharp knife to make little slits all over the lamb, then insert a slice of garlic into each hole. Tip the onions and carrot into a large flameproof roasting tin, then place the lamb on top and season. Pour 250ml water into the base of the tin and roast in the oven for 30 mins.
• Meanwhile, make the crust by mixing together all the ingredients and seasoning well. Remove the lamb from the oven and turn the heat down to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Brush the lamb all over with the mustard, then pack on the crust in a thick layer - don't worry if any falls in the tin, this will be used in the gravy later (you probably won't use the entire crust, so set aside what's left for later). Return the lamb to the oven and cook for a further 1 hr 30 mins. Check the lamb during cooking and add more water to the base of the tin if it dries out.
• Remove the lamb from the tin, cover lightly with foil and leave to rest for 30-40 mins - if covered too tightly, the crust will go soggy.
• To make the gravy, put the roasting tin with the vegetables still in it directly on the heat and whisk in the flour. Cook for 1 min, then add the wine, scraping any flour from the bottom of the tin. Let it bubble for 1 min, then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 10-15 mins until thickened, stirring in a little of the reserved crust for a thicker gravy. Strain the gravy through a sieve into a pan, discarding the vegetables left in the sieve. Add mustard to taste and stir through the butter. Keep warm until ready to serve.

LEFTOVER LAMB CURRY

Steps:

• Using a food processor (if you have one), finely chop the onion, apple, celery and garlic.
• Melt the butter in a skillet and cook the vegetables until softened but not browned.
• Stir in the curry powder and thyme; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Stir in the chicken stock and tomatoes; simmer for two minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper; add more curry powder if desired.
• For a smooth sauce, puree in the food processor and pour back into the skillet.
• Add the lamb to the skillet; cover and simmer until the lamb is heated through, about 10 minutes, adding a little more stock if the sauce is too thick.
• Serve over rice.

SLOW COOKED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Heat oven to 120C/fan 100C/gas ½. Put your largest lidded casserole on the hob and brown the seasoned leg of lamb on all sides - do this very thoroughly until it is a good dark brown as it will not brown during the cooking. (If you don't do it now, it will end up beige.) If the lamb sticks, add a drizzle of oil - legs of lamb differ. Allow 10 mins on a high heat and put on the cooker fan to remove the smoke. Pour away any fat that has collected in the bottom of the pan.
• Throw in the vegetables, followed by the wine and stock. Season and bring to the boil, then clap on the lid and put in the oven. Bake for 7 hrs, turning twice. After 5 hrs the meat will be cooked and offer no resistance to the knife.
• There is no need to rest the meat when cooked in this way, but to finish the sauce, transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving dish. Strain the sauce into a jug and pour or blot away the fat with kitchen paper. Pour the sauce into a pan then boil the liquid hard to reduce by a quarter, by which time it will be rich and flavoursome. Adjust seasoning, add the Armagnac if you wish, and serve alongside the lamb, which should be served with a spoon, a la cuillère as the French call it.

DELICIOUS SIMPLE MARINADE FOR ROAST LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Mix together all the ingredients. Taste and make adjustments to seasoning according to taste.
• Using a sharp knife, make several small slits into the leg of lamb to allow marinade to penetrate. Thoroughly baste the leg of lamb in the marinade.
• Place the lamb, along with the marinade, in a dish big enough to hold the meat. Pour the remaining marinade over it, and place in the refrigerator.
• Allow to marinate overnight, turning once. Baste meat once more before putting into the oven to roast.
• Enjoy!

ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH BASIL & MINT PESTO

Steps:

• First, make the pesto. Put all the ingredients (except the olive oil and lemon juice) and a pinch of salt into the small bowl of a food processor. Pulse until very finely chopped. While the processor is on, drizzle the olive oil in to make a paste. Tip the pesto into a small bowl and stir in the lemon juice.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the scored lamb leg in a large roasting tin and use half the pesto to generously coat the skin and flesh, pressing it between all the cracks for extra juiciness. Put the rest of the pesto in the fridge, covered with cling film, and remove just before serving.
• Roast the lamb for 1 hr 45 mins. Check during cooking that it's not drying out - if the base of the roasting tin starts to look dry, spread a little more pesto over the top of the lamb.
• Remove the lamb from the tin, cover with foil and leave to rest for 30-40 mins before serving on lemon slices and fresh garden herbs, if you like. Carve at the table and serve with the remaining pesto to drizzle over.