Recipe: Easter Leg of Lamb

Monday, 25 March 2024 08:30

When it comes to Easter feasts, you can always look to Italy for a sublime celebration of food, family and faith. This Easter leg of lamb with an Italian twist is the perfect dish to serve to your brood over the bank holiday

Top Tip:

Keep an eye on your lamb while it is in the oven to ensure it doesn’t dry out. Resting is also essential to maintaining the tenderness and moistness of your meat.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1.2kg (2½lb) leg of lamb

Salt & pepper

Sprigs of rosemary

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

150ml (5fl oz) white wine

300g (10oz) baby onions or shallots

100g (3½oz) black olives, pitted and roughly chopped

8 x anchovy fillets, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

320g (11oz) frozen peas

Method:

1. Preheat the oven initially to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Slash the lamb with a sharp knife and rub all over with salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Push half the olives and four anchovies into the slashes. Place in a roasting dish together with wine, garlic, shallots, rosemary and remaining anchovies.

2. Pop the lamb into the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 150C/130C Fan/Gas 2. Roast the lamb for 1 hour 30 minutes and if necessary cover with tin foil halfway through cooking to avoid drying out. Baste throughout and if needed add a glass of hot water to the bottom of the pan.

3. About 10 minutes before the end of cooking time, add the peas.

4. Remove from the oven, leave to rest for 15 minutes, place on a board, carve and serve with the vegetables and juices.

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Recipe: Easter Leg of Lamb

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