A deliciously savoury purée that coats the meat amplifies the flavour of this classic Easter roasting joint
Diana Henry The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer
Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
See more
Published
This came about after I cooked a Greek dish that had a stuffing made from a Greek cheese. I’d never thought about a cheese stuffing for lamb before, but this just came out of my kitchen for Sunday lunch one week: Italian ingredients, Greek-inspired.
Requires 15 minutes resting time
Overview
Prep time
30 mins
Cook time
1 hr
Serves
6
-8
Ingredients
- 120g pecorino cheese, finely grated
- 6 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
- leaves from 1 small bunch of basil, plus extra to serve (optional)
- 1.8kg leg of lamb
- 2 medium red onions, cut into wedges
- 600g small waxy potatoes, scrubbed, then halved or quartered, depending on size
- 350g red and yellow tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 250ml white wine
Method
Step
Preheat the oven to 230C/220C fan/gas mark 8.
Step
Put 120g grated pecorino, 6 finely grated garlic cloves and some salt into a mortar and pound to a rough purée, gradually adding 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. Tear the leaves from 1 small bunch of basil, add them to the mortar and pound them.
Step
Place the 1.8kg leg of lamb into a roasting tin.
Step
Make deep incisions all over the lamb and push the paste from the mortar down into the cuts. You can also loosen the meat around the bone to make a pocket and push the paste into that, too. Season all over and put into the oven.
Step
Roast for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 190C/180C fan/gas mark 5.
Step
Add 2 red onions (cut into wedges), 600g halved or quartered small waxy potatoes and 350g halved or quartered red and yellow tomatoes to the roasting tin.
Step
Toss them in the fat in the tin, adding a little more oil if it is needed to coat them. Season and roast for a further 45 minutes, adding 250ml white wine after 20 minutes.
Step
The lamb will be pink, so if you prefer the meat more well done, cook it for a little longer.
Step
Remove the lamb to a plate, cover with foil, and insulate well – I use old towels or tea towels – then leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Step
If the potatoes are tender, cover them and keep warm in a low oven while the lamb is resting. If they are still a bit firm, increase the oven temperature to 210C/200C fan/gas mark 6½, and return the potatoes and other vegetables to the oven, uncovered. Cook until they’re ready.
Step
Serve the lamb with the potatoes, tomatoes and onions, scattered with a few basil leaves, if you like.
Recipe from From the Oven to the Table: Simple dishes that look after themselves, by Diana Henry (Mitchell Beazley, £20)