Ingredients

1 Leg of Lamb (about 2kg/4.4 Lbs)

Fat trimmed, skin scored

Olive oil, to drizzle

3-4 garlic cloves, skins on and halved

A few sprigs of Thyme

Juice from half a lemon

4 Honeycrisp apples

500mL/17 Fl.oz’s Crispin Honey Crisp Cider (with apple wine sediment fully & evenly dispersed through the cider - tip & swirl)

Runny Organic Honey, to drizzle

300mL/10Fl.Oz’s lamb or chicken stock

Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 220C/430F
  • Weigh Lamb and calculate final cooking at 12 minutes per 450g/1Lb for Medium-Rare, and 15 minutes for Medium.
  • Score the fat in a criss-cross pattern, drizzle with olive oil, then rub all over with salt & pepper.
  • Place in a deep roasting pan and scatter the garlic and thyme over and around.
  • Pour over the lemon juice and drizzle again with olive oil.
  • Sprinkle with a little more seasoning.
  • Roast for 20 minutes.
  • Slice the Honeycrisp apples in to quarters and cut off the cores.
  • Remove the lamb from the oven and reduce the heat to 180C/360F.
  • Scatter the Honeycrisp apples around the pan and baste the lamb with Crispin Honey Crisp cider.
  • Turn the meat over and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of honey.
  • Return lamb to oven for 30 minutes.
  • Turn the lamb over and baste with pan juices, then drizzle over another tablespoon of honey.
  • Continue to roast for the calculated time. Check juices - skewer thickest portion of lab - the redder the juices, the rarer the meat.
  • Remove lamb from oven. Place on a carving board and cover with foil.

Prepare Gravy:

  • Apples and garlic should be very soft in the roasting pan.
  • Press with a fork, then tip the entire contents of the pan through a fine sieve in to a saucepan.
  • Push down with the back of a wooden spoon to extract all the juices and flavor of the apples and garlic.
  • Discard the pulp.
  • Place the saucepan over a medium heat and add the stock.
  • Bring to boil and wait until sauce has thickened to a desired gravy consistency.
  • Taste & Adjust seasoning.
  • Pour in to a warm gravy serving jug.
  • Carve the lamb in to thin slices.
  • Gravy to taste.
  • Crisp roast potatoes, tender green peas and broccoli to accompany the lamb.