Roast Lamb

		There are more sheep than people in both the Highlands and Southern Uplands of Scotland. Hardy native breeds such as Shetland and Black Hebridean live on in specialist flocks, but the largest number belong to the Blackface. Originally bred in Crawford in the very highest reaches of the Upper Clyde Valley, a tup (ram) fetched £55,000 a few years ago at Lanark Market. Texel and other foreign breeds are popular, but Cheviot crosses, Border Leicester and others abound. But for the finest, unique flavour, seaweed fed Ronaldsay lamb from that tiny Orkney Island is difficult to better.

Ingredients:

Leg of Scottish lamb (NOT frozen from NZ!)
Two cloves garlic and sprig of rosemary Olive oil and seasoning
Redcurrant or rowan jelly 1 dessertspoonful plain flour and 1 softened butter
1 Glass red wine and 1 beef stock

Recipe:

1. Bring the lamb up to room temperature, then heat the oven to mark 8.

2. Rub the lamb with olive oil, having first inserted slivers of peeled garlic and spiked it with rosemary leaves.

3. Season well with sea salt and ground black pepper, then put uncovered lamb in the hot oven for twenty minutes.

4. Turn the oven down to mark 4, add the glass of beef stock to the roasting pan, cover, and leave to roast for 20 minutes per 500g .

5. Mix the flour and butter together into a paste (beurre manie), remove the lamb and keep warm.

6. Stir butter mix into juices and scrape the bits of meat, put on a hot flame and cook for 2/3 minutes. Add the wine and stir in the jelly (mint for a traditional flavour), then simmer for 10 minutes by which time the lamb is ready to carve.

7. Serve with creamed and roast tatties, steamed and buttered spring cabbage or peas, and a baked tomato stuffed with basil, garlic and breadcrumbs.