Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy

Step 1

Take lamb out of fridge at least 1 hour before roasting. (Note 4)

Step 2

Preheat oven to 240°C/475°F (220°C fan) with oven shelf in the middle.

Step 3

Rub - Mix rosemary, garlic and olive oil.

Step 4

Prepare lamb - Place lamb leg in a roasting pan. Coat with the rub using your hands, the sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Place garlic and rosemary sprigs underneath the lamb, garlic cut face up.

Step 5

Roast lamb leg for 20 minutes. Turn the oven down to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan) and roast for a further 1 hour or until the internal temperature reaches 53°C/127°F for medium rare (Note 5 other doneness). Check first at 45 minutes - everyone's oven is different!

Step 6

Rest - Remove lamb from oven. Transfer lamb to plate, loosely cover with foil and rest for 20 minutes to 1 hour (it will still be warm enough for serving!). The internal temperature will rise to 62°C/144°F (medium rare). Make gravy while lamb is resting - below.

Step 7

Serve lamb with gravy, duck fat or classic crunchy roast potatoes, peas and steamed carrots tossed with butter and parsley.

Step 8

Drippings in pan - Discard rosemary sprigs. You should have around 4 - 5 tbsp of fat (drippings). If less, add butter. If much more, discard a bit.

Step 9

Add flour - Place roasting pan on stove over medium heat. When the fat starts to bubble, then add flour. Mix flour in and cook for 1 minute.

Step 10

Stock - Pour in half the beef stock and mix to dissolve sludge in, then add remaining beef stock and mix.

Step 11

Garlic squidging - Use a potato masher (if you're really keen like me) to mush the garlic to squeeze out the flavour (also helps flour caught in garlic to dissolve).

Step 12

Taste - Check salt and pepper (I don't add more).

Step 13

Thicken - Simmer for a couple of minutes, stirring, until it starts to thicken. Take it off the stove BEFORE the gravy is the thickness you want because it will keep thickening.

Step 14

Strain into a bowl, mushing garlic to squeeze all the liquid out. Then pour into gravy jug and serve with lamb!