The perfect roast lamb

About Goodwood Lamb:
Southdown lambs are bred purely for their meat and graze particularly well on the chalk ground of the South Downs. We've previously won Gold Stars in the Great Taste Awards for our leg of lamb and shoulder of lamb.

Our pedigree Southdown sheep are successfully shown nationally by our award winning shepherd, Nick Page, continuing a tradition long held by the Dukes of Richmond, who have been patrons of the Southdown Sheep Society for generations.

Ingredients:

Based on a 2kg leg of Goodwood lamb

• 1 big bunch of fresh rosemary
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 2 kg leg of Goodwood lamb
• 1 lemon
• Olive oil
• Sea Salt and Pepper

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 200ºC
2. Break up the garlic bulb into cloves. Peel three/four and the rest can remain whole.
3. Take half of your bunch of rosemary and chop finely.
4. Crush your peeled garlic cloves in a small bowl, then add your chopped rosemary, finely grated lemon zest and a healthy lug of olive oil. Mix together.
5. Lightly score the lamb leg with a sharp knife.
6. Using sea salt and pepper, season the leg of lamb before pouring the marinade over the top and rubbing into the meat.
7. Once coated, place the lamb onto a tray and scatter the remaining rosemary and garlic over the top.
8. Ensure the tray is covered with tin foil before placing in the pre-heated oven (at this point, turn the temperature down to 160 ºC) and cook for two hours.
9. Remove from oven and rest before serving.

Top Tips:

1. Remove the lamb from the fridge an hour before cooking so that it can get to room temperature.
2. Once the lamb is cooked, remove from the oven and leave to stand on a chopping board. Cover again with tin foil, then a tea towel and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
3. For extra flavour, create a crust using parsley, tarragon and dried breadcrumbs. Sprinkle on top after applying a thin layer of dijon mustard with a pastry brush.
4. Combine your mint sauce with yoghurt for a smoother more unctuous accompaniment.