Mediterranean Lamb Roast With Roasted Anya Potatoes

By Tom Mitchell-Dawson

This Mediterranean-inspired lamb roast is a true celebration of bold flavours and hearty ingredients used all over southern Europe, especially Spain, Italy and Greece. The soft and juicy lamb leg is roasted to perfection in a rich sauce of olives, anchovies and onions which is then reduced to create the ultimate rich gravy. 

Roasted Anya potatoes accompany the lamb, seasoned with a fragrant paste made in our Cole and Mason pestle and mortar of rosemary and garlic for an extra layer of warmth and depth. This is a great stress-free recipe for gatherings of friends and family that is guaranteed to impress - It manages to feel classy but at the same time homely.

Prep & Cooking Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes 

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• Lamb
• 2kg lamb leg
• 2 onions, finely sliced
• 2 sprigs rosemary, stripped
• 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 10 anchovy fillets
• 350g mixed pitted olives
• 250ml white wine
• 1 litre lamb stock
• 1kg of anya potatoes
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 4 cloves garlic

Method:

1. Take the lamb out of the fridge 1 hour before you are ready to cook. 
2. Preheat the oven to 220c In a heavy-bottomed pan, sweat down the onions with a little salt in a few tbsps of olive oil. After 10 minutes add the garlic and rosemary and carry on cooking for a further 5 minutes. Add the anchovies and olives and cook for a few minutes to allow the anchovies to melt away.
3. Add the wine and let reduce slightly before adding the lamb stock and bringing to a boil. Transfer the sauce to a deep roasting tray that will comfortably fit the lamb. Season the lamb with a little olive oil and lots of salt and pepper.
4. Place the lamb in the roasting tray fat side up and carefully transfer it to the oven. After 20 minutes, reduce the temperature to 180c and cook for a further 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on how you like it cooked. It should read 55c with an instant-read thermometer for medium.
5. While the lamb is cooking, prepare the potatoes. Add the garlic and rosemary leaves to a pestle and mortar with some coarse salt and pound until a paste forms. Add 2 tbsps of olive oil and mix everything together. Place the potatoes on a large baking tray and cover with the garlic and rosemary paste.
6. When the lamb is out of the oven turn the temperature up to 220c and place in the potatoes for 30 minutes. Remove the lamb from the sauce and wrap it in foil. Place a sieve over a saucepan and strain the sauce from the onions and olives and set them aside. Place the sauce on the heat over a high heat and allow to reduce by half and thicken up.
7. To serve, reheat the onions and olives in the oven, place on a serving dish, then top with the lamb. Stack the potatoes in a bowl and serve the sauce in a gravy jug.