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Roast leg of lamb with mint and caper sauce recipe

Roast leg of lamb with mint and caper sauce recipe

4 ratings

Nothing beats tender roast leg of lamb with crispy roast potatoes for a Sunday roast. We've given this classic dish a flavourful twist with the addition of capers, lemon and garlic. See method

  • Serves 6
  • 10 mins to prepare and 2 hrs 00 mins to cook
  • 609 calories / serving
  • Gluten-free

Ingredients

  • 1.4kg (3lb) leg of lamb
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 6 sprigs rosemary
  • 2 lemons, halved
  • 2 garlic heads, halved horizontally
  • 1kg (2lb) Maris Piper potatoes, peeled
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter

For the mint & caper sauce

  • 100g (3 1/2oz) capers, drained
  • 30g fresh mint, leaves only
  • 1 lemon, juiced and zested
  • 1 shallot, peeled
  • 100ml extra-virgin olive oil
If you haven't got any Maris Pipers, try using King Edward potatoes

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    2545kj
    609kcal     30%

  • Fat

    33g 47%

  • Saturates

    11g 53%

  • Sugars

    2g 2%

  • Salt

    0.4g 7%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 32g Protein 43.7g Fibre 3.4g

Method

  1. Preheat oven gas 8, 230ªC, fan 210ªC. Rub the lamb with salt, pepper and olive oil.
  2. Put the rosemary in a pile in the centre of a baking dish, along with lemon and garlic. Top with the lamb. Fill the baking dish with enough water to come up 1cm (1/2 in) from the base of the dish.
  3. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C and continue to roast for 13 minutes per 500g for rare (very pink in the middle); 18 minutes per 500g (1lb) for medium (just pink at the bone); or 20-22 minutes per 500g (1lb) for well done, plus an extra 20 minutes. Cover the lamb with foil after the first 20 minutes so that it doesn’t darken too much.
  4. Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into large chunks. Place into a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until partially cooked (they should be just tender when pierced with a skewer).
  5. Drain the potatoes well and return to a saucepan over a low heat until any remaining water evaporates. Put a lid on the saucepan and shake vigorously to rough up the surface of potatoes (this will make them crunchy when roasted).
  6. Put the oil and butter into a large roasting pan and put into the same oven as the lamb for 5 minutes or until the oil is smoking hot. Working quickly, add the potatoes, using tongs to coat them in oil, then return to the oven. Roast the potatoes for 40 minutes, then turn and roast for a further 30 minutes or until golden and crisp. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.
  7. While the potatoes are roasting, put the capers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Add the mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, and shallots, and pulse until all are roughly chopped. Add olive oil in a slow, steady stream, pulsing until combined but still coarse. Transfer to a small bowl. Use the same day.
  8. Once the lamb is cooked to your liking, remove from the oven, cover and rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the roast potatoes and the mint and caper sauce.

See more Leg of lamb recipes

For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.

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