Everyone looks forward to their Sunday roast. If you choose any other day of the week you couldn’t predict what someone will be having for dinner, but not on Sundays. Sunday roasts are a sacrosanct staple in most households, one that we both revere and guard well.

Most people opt for chicken most of the time and treat themselves to the occasional beef. Both are great and tastebud-worthy but lamb is probably the most flavoursome of all the roast options, but it doesn’t get the praise it deserves. 

Lamb Roast

We figure it might be because lamb is a little more delicate to cook, so we have decided to share our favourite recipe that was inspired by Jamie Oliver’s. We hope this will give you the confidence to try something new this Sunday. 

Lamb’s rich flavour is not only delicious, but the way it is presented and melts off the bone is impressive. Your guests will definitely feel that you have gone the extra mile if you serve them this mouthwatering dish and your culinary skills will be the talk of the town. 

Check out our article on lamb and mutton, so you can fully appreciate what we mean. This recipe serves 8 people, but you can halve the ingredients to make a smaller portion without affecting the quality.   

What you will need

  1. 2 kg leg of lamb.
  2. 1 full bulb of garlic
  3. ½ a bunch of fresh rosemary
  4. 1.5kg potatoes
  5. 1 lemon
  6. Olive oil 

The mint sauce

  1. A bunch of fresh mint leaves
  2. 1 teaspoon of sugar
  3. 3 tablespoons of wine vinegar

The method 

  1. Always remove the lamb from the fridge 1 hour before you want to cook it, to let it come up to room temperature.
  2. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6 and place a roasting dish for the potatoes on the bottom.
  3. Break the garlic bulb up into cloves, then peel 3, leaving the rest whole. Pick and roughly chop half the rosemary leaves. Peel and halve the potatoes.
  4. Crush the peeled garlic into a bowl, add the chopped rosemary, finely grate in the lemon zest and drizzle in a good lug of oil, then mix together.
  5. Season the lamb with sea salt and black pepper, then drizzle with the marinade and rub all over the meat. Place on the hot bars of the oven above the tray.
  6. Parboil the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes, then drain and allow to steam dry. Gently toss the potatoes in the colander to scuff up the edges, then tip them back into the pan.
  7. Add the remaining rosemary sprigs and whole garlic cloves to the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and then drizzle over a good lug of oil. Tip the potatoes into the hot tray and place them back under the lamb to catch all the lamb’s lovely juices.
  8. Cook the lamb for 1 hour 15 minutes if you want it pink, or 1 hour 30 minutes if you like it more well done. We find that somewhere between is best.
  9. Meanwhile, make the mint sauce. Pick and finely chop the mint leaves, then place them in a small bowl. Mix in the sugar, a good pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon of hot water and the vinegar.
  10. When the lamb is cooked to your liking, remove it from the oven and leave it to rest for 15 minutes or so. Carve the lamb and serve the roast potatoes, mint sauce and some seasonal greens.

And, there you have it. A famously delicious leg of lamb recipe that is guaranteed to impress even the most difficult of diners. 

Halal Origins sources the highest quality ingredients from local farms that invest a lot of care into their animals. Whether you want chicken, beef, or lamb,  all the animals are fed an organic diet that mainly consists of grass, clovers and flowers that add to the quality of their meat. 

MUST READ The Art of Slow-Cooking

Order your lamb before 3 pm today and you will have it in time for dinner tomorrow.