1 leg of lamb, weighing 2.25 kg (5.5 lb)

1 small onion, peeled and sliced

2 fat garlic cloves, cut into thin strip

few sprigs fresh rosemary, to garnish

salt and freshly milled black pepper

 

For the sauce

2 to 3 level teaspoons maizena

1 heaped teaspoon mustard powder

½ cup red wine

½ cup beef stock

salt and freshly milled black pepper

 

• Pre-heat the oven 190°C (375°F)

• Place the meat in the roasting tin, tucking the slices of onion beneath it.

• Place few sprigs of fresh rosemary at the bottom of the pan.

• Make small deep holes with a sharp knife (about 10 per side) and insert sliced garlic. Season the surface with salt and freshly milled black pepper, then place it, uncovered, in the pre-heated oven on the middle shelf.

• Roast for 30 minutes per 450 g (pound) – for a 2.25 kg leg this will be 21/2 hours. Make sure that you baste the lamb at least 3 times while it is cooking, as this will help keep it juicy and succulent. If you like to serve your lamb quite pink, give it 30 minutes less cooking time.

• To tell if the lamb is cooked to your liking, insert a skewer into the centre, remove it, then press the flat of the skewer against the meat: as the juice runs out, you will see to what degree the meat is cooked – the pinker the juice, the rarer the meat. When it is cooked as you like it, remove it to a carving board and keep it in a warm place to rest for 30 minutes.

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