Roast Leg of Lamb with Anchovies, Garlic and Rosemary
INGREDIENTS
- 1 x 4lb bone-in leg of lamb
- 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 20 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and roughly chopped
- 1 bunch fresh rosemary
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ⅔ cups white wine
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt, as needed
For the salsa verde
- ½ a bunch of flat-leaf parsley
- ½ a bunch of basil
- 2tbsp capers
- ½ a 50g (1¾oz) tin of anchovies
- 2 garlic cloves
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 1tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1tsp Dijon mustard
- 6tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Delicious served with lemony boiled or roast potatoes or cooked brown lentils.
I also serve the lamb as a lazy lunch with freshly baked bread to soak up all the garlic juices.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 425F. With a small, sharp knife, make 12 incisions 2 inches deep into the fleshy side of the leg. Insert a piece of garlic, some chopped anchovies and a small sprig of rosemary into each incision and push mixture in the incision.
- Cream the butter with the remaining anchovies and smear it all over the meat. Sprinkle the meat generously with black pepper, place in a roasting pan and pour the wine around it. Tuck in any leftover sprigs of rosemary and pour the lemon juice over the meat.
- Roast in the oven for 15 minutes; lower the oven temperature to 300F and roast for about another 2 hours, basting from time to time with the juices. (Cook slightly longer, depending on how well done you like your meat.) Let rest in a warm place for at least 15 minutes before carving.
- While the lamb is cooking, make the salsa verde. Using a food processor,chop the herbs, anchovies and capers. Crush the garlic in a pestle and mortar or garlic crusher. Then mix them all together in a bowl, along with the lemon juice, vinegar and mustard. Add the olive oil gradually until you have a thick but pourable sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over thinly sliced lamb.
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