Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2.5 -3kg leg of hogget or lamb
- 2 -3 large garlic cloves, cut into 2 - 3mm slivers
- 1 whole bulb of garlic, halved through its middle
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 large sprigs rosemary, leaves picked, plus a few extra small sprigs
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1.5 to 2kg Jersey Royals or early Cornish new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into even-sized chunks
For the green herb sauce
- 2 large handfuls of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
- 1 small handful mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp capers, chopped
- 2 - 3 tsp mustard
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra if needed
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Heat the oven to 190°C fan.
Rub the hogget all over with olive oil and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Using the tip of a sharp knife, pierce the hogget all over, about 12 to 16 times. Slip a sliver of garlic into each cut, then press in a small rosemary tip, using it to push the garlic down into the meat. The tips of the rosemary work best for this, but it’s not the end of the world if you just wedge in what you have.
Place the joint in a roasting tray and put it straight into the oven. Roast for 30 minutes.
Baste the meat really well. Add the potatoes and the halved bulb of garlic to the tray, turning everything well in the fat. Season the potatoes lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Return to the oven and roast for a further 1 hour or so, basting and turning once or twice, until the meat is cooked to your liking and the potatoes are crisp, golden and tender.
Transfer the hogget to a plate and leave it to rest somewhere warm for 15 minutes. Keep the potatoes warm.
To make the sauce, combine the parsley, mint, capers, mustard, garlic and vinegar in a bowl. Stir in the olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. It should be loose, more like a dressing, so add a little more oil if needed.
Carve the hogget and serve with the potatoes and soft garlic, finishing with spoonfuls of the green herb sauce over the meat and potatoes as it comes to the table.
