Roast leg of lamb Provençal

Roast leg of lamb Provençal

Serves 4-6

This kind of dish would make a brilliant family roast or Sunday lunch for friends. It makes good use of common Provençal ingredients and although anchovies and lamb may not seem like an obvious marriage, the saltiness of the fish makes an excellent seasoning. f

A leg or shoulder is probably the best cut to use for this dish, boned or on the bone.

1 leg or shoulder of lamb, weighing about 1 1/2-2 kg
4tbsp olive oil
6 cloves of peeled garlic, 2 sliced and 4 crushed
A few sprigs of rosemary
1 medium red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2tsp chopped fresh thyme or marjoram leaves
Half a glass of white wine or rosé
6 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
20 stoned black olives (preferably Niçoise)
6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a roasting tray in the oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, season the leg of lamb and then make 8 or 9 incisions in the flesh with the point of a knife and push a slice of garlic and sprig of rosemary into each. Put the lamb into the roasting tray and roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning it a few times during cooking and keeping it on the pink side.

Remove the lamb from the tray and keep warm. Put the roasting tray on a low heat on the stove, add the rest of the olive oil and gently cook the onion, garlic and thyme for 3-4 minutes, stirring well. Add half a glass of white or rosé wine, the tomatoes, olives and anchovies, season and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Serve the lamb, cut into thickish slices, with the sauce. Serve with the courgettes below and potatoes if you wish.