Method
- Remember, after removing your joint from the packaging, pat dry and bring to room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 210°C for fan assisted or 220°C for ovens without a fan.
- Choose a large, heavy-based roasting tray, ideally with deep sides and handles for easy movement.
- Season with good quality fine sea salt just prior to cooking.
- Make a trivet by roughly chopping equal amounts of onion, carrot and celery (or our preferred choice of celeriac, the root of the celery) plus a bay leaf, sprig of thyme and a few black peppercorns.
- Place the joint skin side up onto the trivet which should line the base of the tray.
- Place in the centre of the oven and roast for 25 minutes uncovered
- Add 250ml red wine and 250ml of lamb stock or water to the roasting tray after the initial 25 minute roast. Cover with tin foil and cook for 3.5 to 4 hours on 140°C for fan assisted or 150°C for ovens without a fan. The meat is ready when it is tender, it should pull away easily when pierced with a fork.
- Remove from the oven, put onto a clean tray and keep warm by covering with a sheet of tin foil. Rest for a minimum of 20 minutes before carving, leaving the roasted vegetables in the tray for the gravy.
- For the gravy, pass the roasting juices through a fine strainer into a clean saucepan & bring to a simmer. Thicken if required by whisking in a teaspoon of cornflour mixed with a little cold water and reduce till you reach a rich, glossy gravy.