Rustic Roast Lamb with Gravy

Ingredients

• 2,7 kg leg of lamb
• 5 cloves garlic, roughly sliced
• 30 ml fresh thyme
• 30 ml fresh rosemary
• 250 ml low-sodium chicken stock
• 100 ml water

Wet rub

• 15 fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 60 ml olive oil
• 60 ml mayonnaise
• 10 ml whole-grain mustard
• 2 ml English mustard powder
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• Freshly ground black pepper

Mint and mustard gravy

• 5 ml whole-grain mustard
• 6 torn mint leaves
• 30 ml crème fraîche
• 2 ml honey, to taste
• 125 ml chicken stock
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. To prepare the lamb: Preheat the oven to 140°C. Place the lamb on a sturdy cutting board, slab or kitchen preparation surface area. Score the lamb leg with a sharp knife. Make small but deep incisions all over the leg. Stuff each incision with sliced garlic, thyme and rosemary sprigs. Set aside some thyme and rosemary for the roasting pan.
2. To make the wet rub: For the wet rub, mix together the mint, crushed garlic, olive oil, mayonnaise, whole-grain mustard, mustard powder, lemon juice and lemon zest in a small bowl. Massage the rub all over and into the lamb, coating the entire surface.
3. To roast the lamb: Place the remaining fresh thyme and rosemary in the roasting pan, placing the leg of lamb on top of the herbs. Pour the stock and water into the roasting pan around the meat, and cover with tin foil to seal.
4. Roast in the oven at 140°C for 4 hours or until very tender. Then increase the temperature to 180°C and remove the tin foil. Return the roasting pan to the oven minus the foil and continue roasting for another 30 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and transfer the lamb to a serving board. Do not discard the juices in the pan – this will be incorporated into your gravy. Allow the meat to rest while you make the gravy.
5. To make the gravy: Spoon off the excess fat from the juices in the roasting pan, then place the pan on the hob and bring it to a rapid boil. Add the mustard, mint leaves, crème fraîche and honey to taste. Now pour in the stock and bring to the boil once again. Season to taste, pass the gravy through a sieve to rid it of any lumps and leaves, and transfer it to a gravy boat. Serve with your slow-cooked, fall-off-the-bone leg of lamb – glorious!