Roasted Rosemary Lamb

Ingredients:

1 whole leg of lamb (about 3kg)
45g fresh parsley, minced
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
60ml olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
250ml dry white wine (Chablis is particularly good for this)

Method:

Combine the parsley, rosemary, 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic and cardamom in a bowl. Take the lamb and trim any fat then make deep slits or gashes in the meat. Whisk the herb mixture and rub all over the outside of the lamb, making sure you stuff the mix into the slits you've cut.

Brush the outside of the meat with 1 tbsp oil and season with salt and black pepper. Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting tin then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 220°C and roast for 30 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180°C and roast for 20 minutes per kg (rare), 30 minutes per kg (medium) and 40 minutes per kg (well done).

In the meantime, combine the remaining oil and the wine. Use this mix to baste the lamb frequently during the final 90 minutes of cooking.

Remove the lamb from the oven, transfer to a cutting block then cover and set aside to rest for 20 minutes. If desired, you can use any pan juices to make a wine sauce or a gravy. For a very simple sauce pour the pan juices into a saucepan then whisk together 1 1/2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) with 3 tbsp water to make a smooth slurry. Add this to the pan juices and whisk to combine then bring to a simmer and cook until thickened.