Roast leg of lamb

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas

Step 2

Rub the lamb all over with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper, place in a roasting tray, then roast for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, halve the aubergines and chop into 5cm erratic wedges, then peel and chop each onion into 6 wedges. Toss in a little olive oil with a sprinkling of salt, pepper and the dried oregano. When the time's up, remove the lamb from the oven, pour away most of the fat, then pick over the rosemary. Scatter the aubergine and onion in and around the lamb, then place back in the oven for 1 hour. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Peel and finely slice the garlic, and pick and finely chop the parsley (stalks and all). Crumble the chilli. Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan over a medium heat, add the garlic and parsley stalks and fry for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, a pinch of salt and pepper, a good swig of vinegar, the dried chilli and the anchovy fillets. Simmer for 30 minutes. Make a point of checking the veg and lamb after 20 minutes – turn the lamb over and stir the veggies, making sure they don’t dry out, adding a splash of water, if needed. Once cooked, remove the lamb to a platter, cover with tin foil and allow to rest. Pour away any excess fat from the lamb tray, then tip the tomato sauce over the roasted aubergines and onions. Place the tray on a medium heat, and using a wooden spoon, scrape loose all the sticky bits at the bottom but try not to break up the veg too much – you want it to be a chunky sauce, not a pulp. Add most of the parsley leaves and simmer for a couple of minutes on a gentle heat. Now taste the sauce – it should be slightly sweet and slightly sour, so it may need another little swig of vinegar. When you’re happy, pour the sauce either on to a separate platter or on to the same one as the lamb. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle over the reserved parsley. Delicious served with warm bread and a seasonal salad.