Roast Lamb with Thyme-Roasted Potatoes

Recipe for: LAMB WITH THYME-ROASTED POTATOES

Ingredients: 

• 1 leg of lamb
• 10 garlic cloves, peeled & halved
• 3 tblsp vegetable oil
• Small bunch fresh thyme (but use dried if you have to)
• 100ml/ 3.5 fl oz chicken or vegetable stock
• 50g/ 2 oz butter
• 10 medium potatoes, peeled & sliced into 1cm rounds
• Splash white wine (optional)

Method: 

1. heat oven to 190C/ fan 170C/ gas 5
2. pierce lamb all over with sharp knife to create small pockets
3. push halved garlic cloves deep into the cuts
4. chop half of the thyme & mix with the oil
5. rub the oil/ thyme all over the lamb joint, then season well
6. place the joint on a rack/ trivet in a roasting pan & cook for 30 minutes
7. meanwhile, in a small pan, heat the stock & butter together until all melted
8. when the meat has had 30 minutes, lift out the joint & the rack
9. tip the sliced potatoes into the roasting tin, then pour over the buttery stock & mix well
10. splash in some white wine & mix again.  Ensure the potatoes are well coated, then sprinkle in the other half of the bunch of thyme + seasoning.
11. carefully place the rack & the lamb back on top, then put back into the oven.
12. cook for a further 60-75 minutes depending on size of joint & how pink/ cooked you like your lamb
13. when you are happy with the lamb, remove it & the rack.  Place on a warmed plate & leave to rest.  Cover loosely.
14. put the roasting tin back in the oven, giving everything a good shake to distribute the juices & seasonings.  Add more stock/ wine if it looks a little dry
15. turn oven up to 220C/ fan 200C/ gas 8 and cook for another 30 minutes, until the exposed edges of the potatoes are starting to go brown & crisp
16. return the rested lamb & any juices to the roasting pan
17. carve the lamb in to the roasting dish so that any juices run over the potatoes

What else you need to know: 

1. the trick here is to have enough liquid to cook the potatoes through & to get them soft before crisping the tops/ edges + you want some buttery/ herby liquor to form a thin gravy with the meat juices
2. serve with a green vegetable.
3. this looks an impressive dinner-party dish