Perfect roast lamb

1 large onion, sliced

A few sprigs of young rosemary

1.75kg (4lb) leg or shoulder of lamb

Butter, for coating

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Ask your butcher for a leg or shoulder of lamb – while shoulder is fattier, many people consider it sweeter-tasting.

In short	Serves: 4 people Course: Main
Nutrition (per portion)	400 calories 22g fat (10g saturates)

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/Gas 6.

2 Put the onion and rosemary in the base of a roasting tin. Generously smear the lamb with butter, season well and place on the onion and rosemary. Pour in about 150ml (¼pt) water and roast the lamb, basting every 20 minutes, for 1½ hours if you like your lamb pink, or 2 hours if you prefer it more well done. If you're roasting shoulder of lamb, turn the joint each time you baste.

3 Remove the lamb from the oven and allow it to sit in a warm place for at least 15 minutes before carving.

4 Serve with a mint flavoured hollandaise sauce if you like and seasonal vegetables.