How to ... Roast a leg of organic Spring lamb

Raised naturally from a March lambing, fresh organic pasture their only diet, our lamb is tender, sweet and succulent, a real treat on the plate. Simple roasting serves it well and a gravy made with the cooking juices, some fresh seasonal vegetables, minted potatoes, carrots and steamed beans, this is the meal of the moment.

Begin by taking the roasting joint out of the chill and allowing it to come to room temperature a couple of hours before roasting. It’s a good idea to put it straight in the roasting tin then loosely cover this with a clean tea towel as this will allow the surface of the joint to dry slightly. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Add a scrunch of salt and pepper, by all means include a generous sprig of rosemary, garlic if you like, for us, lamb plain and simple is what we enjoy.

Just before the joint goes in the oven add a mug of water (this helps with the gravy!). Put the joint in the oven and roast for 20 minutes then turn the oven down to 170°C. Roast for a further 20 minutes per lb (approx. ½ kg) and a further 20 minutes for medium, 30 minutes for well done. This gives an overall cooking time of approximately one and a half hours for a half leg (on the bone) and 2 hours for a whole leg.

When you are happy that the joint is roasted transfer it from the roasting tray to a warm serving plate. Cover with tin foil and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. While the meat is 'resting', return the roasting pan to the hob and add a dessert spoon of plain flour. Mix in a little ‘cooking water’ from vegetables (ideally carrots) and allow to bubble, into a paste. Then slowly add more of the hot water to bring the juices all together as a gravy. Season to taste.