Roast leg of lamb 'aunty Soss's way' with spiced parsnips, carrots and crispy roast potatoes
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As the title suggests, this lamb recipe is based on a dish Anna Hansen's Aunty Soss used to make for her. The flavours at play are timeless and the finished dish makes a great Sunday lunch option. For an extra touch, Hansen recommends adding a handful of polenta to the potato coating. For more advice on cooking this cut, visit our how to cook a leg of lamb page.
First published in 2015
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Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Leg of lamb
- 2.5kg leg of lamb
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stick
- 1 onion
- 5 garlic cloves
- 250ml of white wine
Marinade
- 200g of natural yoghurt
- 80ml of olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp preserved lemon, finely grated
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1 tbsp of thyme, chopped
- 3 tsp cumin seeds, toasted then ground
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
Potatoes
- 12 medium potatoes, peeled
- 1 1/2 tsp nigella seeds
- 2 tsp Urfa chilli flakes
- 2 tsp rosemary, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced
- vegetable oil
- sea salt
- black pepper
Carrot
- 6 carrots, sweet, quartered lengthways
- 1 piece of fresh ginger, thumb sized, finely chopped
- 1/2 green chilli, chopped
- 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Parsnips
- 6 parsnips, quartered lengthways, cores removed if woody
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 handful of curry leaves, fresh
- 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
SAVE RECIPE
Method
1
To prepare the lamb, trim away any excess fat and membrane from the lamb, and with a sharp knife pierce the flesh all over
- 2.5kg leg of lamb
2
Combine all of the marinade ingredients together and rub all over the lamb, working it into any crevices and the pierced flesh. Place in a large food bag and leave to marinade in the fridge
- 200g of natural yoghurt
- 80ml of olive oil
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1 tbsp of thyme
- 3 tsp cumin seeds, toasted then ground
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 1/2 tsp preserved lemon, finely grated
3
Preheat the oven to 225°C/gas mark 7. Roughly chop the carrot, celery, onion and garlic and place in a large roasting tin, spreading out evenly to create a bed for the lamb
4
Place the lamb onto the vegetables and add the wine and a slosh of water to the pan. Roast for 20 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180°C/gas mark 4. Roast for a further 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how pink you like your lamb, making sure to baste the lamb occasionally with pan juices
- 250ml of white wine
5
Meanwhile, prepare the other vegetables. Par-boil the potatoes and then drain in a colander. Toss the potatoes around a little to fluff-up the outsides
- 12 medium potatoes, peeled
6
Place the potatoes into a roasting tin and sprinkle over the onion seeds, Urfa flakes, rosemary, garlic and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Pour in enough olive oil to coat thoroughly and mix well with your hands
- 1 1/2 tsp nigella seeds
- 2 tsp Urfa chilli flakes
- 2 tsp rosemary
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced
- sea salt
- black pepper
- vegetable oil
- vegetable oil
7
Place the carrots in a roasting dish and add the other ingredients, ensuring they are well coated. Place the carrots and potatoes in the oven with the lamb, they will take about 35 minutes (though the potatoes may take a little less time, so keep checking). Make sure you turn them over occasionally to ensure an even, golden brown finish
- 6 carrots, sweet, quartered lengthways
- 1 piece of fresh ginger, thumb sized, finely chopped
- 1/2 green chilli, chopped
- 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
8
Mix the parsnips with the other ingredients and place on a baking tray. Roast until cooked - approximately 25 minutes
- 6 parsnips, quartered lengthways, cores removed if woody
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 handful of curry leaves, fresh
- 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
9
Once the lamb is cooked to the desired pinkness, remove from the oven and leave to rest somewhere warm for approximately 15 minutes, covered loosely in tin foil. Strain the pan juices into a jug - skimming away the excess fat - to use as gravy
10
Slice the lamb and serve onto plates with the roasted vegetables. Drizzle with the pan juices and serve immediately
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