Luke Mangan's Herb roasted leg of lamb

Recipe~Finder

Cooking time: More than 1 hour

Cuisine: British; Modern Australian

Healthy options: Healthy; Low carb; Low cholesterol; Low fat

Serves: 4

Type: Comfort food

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Photography: Michael Mangan

By Luke Mangan

Ingredients

1 x leg of lamb, about 2.5-3kg (bone in)
2 lightly crushed clove garlic
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil table spoon
chopped rosemary (about 1 tablespoon)
chopped fresh thyme (about ½ tablespoon)
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
Miripoix of vegetables:
1 leek chopped
1 carrot roughly chopped
1 stick celery roughly chopped
3 chopped mushrooms
4 whole garlic cloves
1 cup water
Sauce:
1 table spoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons plain flour
1 cup red wine
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
few drops of Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper if needed
Mango, mint and chilli salsa:
1 whole mango (ripe)
1 small red onion chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1 or 2 small red chilies depending on taste
2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoon sugar (to taste)
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation method

Place the lightly crushed garlic, black pepper, lemon rind and thyme, rosemary, salt into a mortar and pestle and pound to make a paste, adding a little olive oil at a time, until smooth and fine. Rub this paste all over the leg of lamb.

Meanwhile place the miripoix of vegetables and water in a roasting pan. Then sit the whole leg of lamb with the rubbed seasoning in the pan. Sprinkle with olive oil, place in moderate oven (190 deg C) for about 2 – 2 ½ hours, depending on whether you like the lamb pink or well done. Checking every now and again, ensure there is always a little water in the roasting pan (this will ensure the vegetables don't burn and give a bitter taste, it will also make the roasting pan easy to clean).

Taking the roasting tray out of oven, lift the whole leg out of the pan leaving the leek, onions, carrots, etc. in the roasting pan, and place the leg of lamb on another tray to rest and keep warm while you make the sauce. Place the roasting tray with miripoix on the stove and stir and cook until all liquid has evaporated. Roast the miripoix until a little browned, add the tomato paste while continuing to stir and cook a few minutes. Quickly stir in the flour, cook another minute over heat, add red wine, simmer a couple of minutes then add the stock. Bring to boil and gently simmer for about 20 minutes to reduce by half, strain the sauce through a strainer, then pour into a sauce boat.

Carve the lamb and put the slices over the roasted vegetables (see below), pour over sauce and serve with the mango, mint and chilli salsa (see below).

Roasted vegetables

It really doesn't matter what veggies you use, I like to use root vegetables when in season, best just to look in the market for what's there.
Usually I just clean the vegetable like parsnips, pumpkin, turnip, beetroot (but I usually roast this separately due to colour runs), cut into chunky pieces, put into roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil and a little water and roast until tender. I would also roast potatoes separately usually before I roast the lamb, then heat up when ready to eat.

With a fork crush all the peeled mango flesh until its like a pulp, add all the other ingredients, check seasoning.

Click here to find out how celebrity chef, Luke Mangan will be spending his Easter weekend!

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