The simplest way to cook a leg of lamb is to dry-roast it, where you season the leg then cook it in the oven.
This week's recipe is only slightly more complicated, requiring 24 hours in a wet marinade which coats the leg and infuses it with flavours redolent of the Middle East, north Africa and southern Europe.
When I cooked this dish at home recently it filled the kitchen with a remarkable aroma – there's nothing like the combination of garlic, cumin and coriander to jump-start the taste buds. Once cooked, the lamb had a beguilingly dark, crisp exterior.
To accompany it I'd suggest some light couscous and a sauce made with natural yogurt, chopped mint and lemon juice.
Roast leg of lamb marinated with coriander, mint, cumin and white wine
Serves 4
1-1.5kg whole leg of lamb
25g mint leaves
25g coriander leaves
25g flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
90ml fresh lemon juice
90ml olive oil
175ml white wine
Half tsp ground cumin
Half tsp fresh ground black pepper
A good pinch of salt
Place all the ingredients except the lamb in a blender and blitz for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Place the lamb in a non-metallic container and pour the marinade over it, ensuring the surface of the leg is covered. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Set the oven to 220C/gas mark 7. Lift the leg out of the marinade, place it on a tray then cook it in the oven for 25 minutes, turning the oven down to 180C/gas mark 4 and cooking for a further 25-30 minutes. Allow the leg to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
WINE MATCH
2006 Seghesio, Sangiovese, Sonoma Valley, US, £30, Villeneuve Wines
Earthy tones with notes of cherry fruit and blackberries, supported by fine tannins and a long, elegant finish.
The Honours, 58a North Castle Street, Edinburgh. Visit www.thehonours.co.uk or call 0131 220 2513.
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