Jamie's Mothership Sunday Roast Lamb

I made my first roast lamb! I thought as it was Easter I'd have a go at roast lamb and as Jamie Oliver is usually pretty good at roasts I thought I'd try one of his recipes. It was really good, lovely and succulent. I served it with the savoy cabbage and bacon recipe from the book and then had mashed celeriac and Mediterranean roast veg, which were reduced in Sainsburys. I had lots of leftovers and I will share the recipes with you over the next few days. I also had pudding which comes tomorrow!

Jamie's Mothership Sunday Roast Lamb (from Saving with Jamie - Jamie Oliver)
(Serves 6)

1 bulb of garlic
1 bunch of fresh rosemary
olive oil
1 2.5 kg shoulder of lamb, bone in
3 onions
4 rashers smoked bacon
1 large Savoy cabbage
1 tbsp plain flour

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

In a pestle and mortar, bash 4 peeled garlic cloves, half the rosemary leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper into a paste, then muddle in a good lug of oil. Stab the lamb ten times, then stick your finger in each hole and massage the marinade in and all over.

Peel and quarter the onions and place in a snug-fitting roasting tray, with the lamb on top. Add 50ml of water, cover tightly with tin foil and cook for 3 hours. Remove the foil, pour away all the fat and add another 200ml of water to the tray. Cook for 1 hour more, or until the meat falls away from the bone, adding another good splash of water, if it starts to dry out.

Meanwhile, chop the bacon and cook in a large frying pan on a medium heat until golden. Trim, roughly slice and throw in the cabbage with a splash of water, cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened, then season to perfection.

Remove the lamb from the oven, transfer to a plate and cover. Put the tray on a medium heat on the hob and stir in the flour, then pour in 600ml boiling water and any lamb resting juices. Stir well and simmer until you're happy with the consistency. Pour the gravy into a jug, or if you prefer it smooth, pour and push it through a sieve first. Serve.