five-hour leg of lamb recipe

This is my favourite thing to cook for an Easter lunch. You can put it in the oven at breakfast and it will be perfect by lunch.

serves 8

• Large leg of lamb or hogget (about 2.2-2.5kg)

for the marinade

• 1 x 750ml bottle of dry white wine
• 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons cumin seeds, dry fried and coarsely ground
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, dry fried and coarsely ground
• Plenty of salt and black pepper
• 5 tablespoons of olive oil

for cooking

• 3 carrots
• 2 onions
• 3 leeks
• 4 cloves of garlic, whole

Put the meat in a black plastic bin liner with the wine, garlic, spices, oil, salt and pepper. Toss it altogether well. Put the whole thing into a bucket and place it somewhere cool for 24-48 hours. Try to remember to turn it quite regularly so the meat is fully coated in the marinade.

5 hours before you want to eat, preheat the oven to 140ºC/gas mark 2. Peel and coarsely chop the veg and put it in the bottom of a large roasting tin. Pour the contents of the black bag onto the veg.

Place it in the oven and roast for 4½ hours. Take out of the oven and rest - covered in tin foil and tea towels - for 30 minutes. 

This recipe featured on p.62 of Sarah Raven's Food for Friends and Family