Roast Lamb with Red Wine, Blackcurrants and Italian Beans
Ingredients
2 kg leg of lamb
4 cloves garlic, sliced
8 sprigs fresh thyme
5 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp Pixley Berries Blackcurrant Cordial
Half a bottle of red wine
Zest of 1 lemon
1L lamb stock
3 red onions (cut into 6 wedges)
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
For the Beans
2 sprigs rosemary (roughly chopped)
100g sunblush tomatoes
3 x 400g cannellini beans
Handful of flatleaf parsley (roughly chopped)
Method
-
Using a sharp knife, cut small slashes all over the lamb then push a slice of garlic into each. Put half the thyme, 3 tbsp olive oil, Pixley Berries Blackcurrant Cordial, wine, lemon zest and a good grinding of black pepper into a large freezer bag. Add the lamb, tie the bag tightly and refrigerate for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
-
Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas7. Put the rest of the thyme into the bottom of a roasting tin then lift the lamb out of the marinade and sit on top of the thyme. Roast for 20 Mins, then toss onions into the pan, drizzle with a little oil, then turn the oven down to 190C fan/170c/gas5. Roast for 15 mins/450g for medium.
-
Meanwhile strain the marinade into a pan, add most of the stock and boil until reduced by two thirds (this should take around 20 mins). Set aside in a jug. Gravy can be made ahead or the day before if necessary, as long as the meat has marinated for at least four hours.
-
Once the lamb is ready, take out and rest on a board, wrapped in a tent of foil to keep warm. Set the onions aside in a bowl. Put the roasting tin onto a low heat and pour in the balsamic vinegar with a splash more stock and scrape all the meaty bits from the bottom. Tip this mixture into the jug with the gravy.
-
For the beans add 2tbsp olive oil to the roasting tin. Add the rosemary and tomatoes and fry for one minute until the rosemary smells aromatic. Tip in the beans, the red onions and the final splash of stock then warm through. Season. Then stir in the parsley just before serving. Serve on a platter, topped with Lamb.