Slow roast leg of lamb

• leg of lamb↗1 large leg of

  about 3kg/6lb 8oz

• onions↗4

  sliced

• garlic cloves↗8

  peeled, but left whole

• carrots↗4

  leave whole if small or quarter lengthways

• white wine↗300ml ml
• stock300ml ml

  use what you have

• Armagnac↗2 tbsp tbsp

  or Madeira, optional, to finish

• thyme sprigs↗

  to finish

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 120C/fan 100C/gas ½. Put your largest lidded casserole on the hob and brown the seasoned whole leg of leg of lamb on all sides - do this very thoroughly until it is a good dark brown as it will not brown during the cooking. (If you don't do it now, it will end up beige.) If the lamb sticks, add a drizzle of oil - legs of lamb differ. Allow 10 mins on a high heat and put on the cooker fan to remove the smoke. Pour away any fat that has collected in the bottom of the pan.

2. 2

   Throw in the vegetables, followed by the wine and stock. Season and bring to the boil, then clap on the lid and put in the oven. Bake for 7 hrs, turning twice. After 5 hrs the meat will be cooked and offer no resistance to the knife.

3. 3

   There is no need to rest the meat when cooked in this way, but to finish the sauce, transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving dish. Strain the sauce into a jug and pour or blot away the fat with kitchen paper. Pour the sauce into a pan then boil the liquid hard to reduce by a quarter, by which time it will be rich and flavoursome. Adjust seasoning, add the Armagnac if you wish, and serve alongside the lamb, which should be served with a spoon, a la cuillère as the French call it.