Lamb
Grilled leg of lamb with Swiss chard and anchovy gratin
This is a dish we often serve in the Field Kitchen: the classic combination of lamb, garlic and rosemary and the more unusual one of chard and anchovy sit very well alongside each other. Anchovy acts as a good foil to the earthy chard. These two dishes would be a lovely Easter lunch. Marinade the lamb the night before so you're ready to go on the day you want to eat it.
Ingredients
for the lamb
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp chopped rosemary
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 leg of lamb, weighing about 2kg, skinned, boned and butterflied (you could ask your butcher to do this)
for the stock
- juice of ½ lemon
- a splash of white wine
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- a sprig of thyme
for the gratin
- 2 bunches of Swiss chard (about 500-600g)
- a large knob of butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 6 anchovies
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp Parmesan, grated
- salt and pepper
Method
First prepare the lamb.
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Step 1
Mix together the garlic, rosemary, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil to make a marinade. Place the lamb in a large dish, pour over the marinade and leave at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight, turning the meat occasionally.
To make the stock
-
Step 1
put all the ingredients in a pan with 500ml of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and set aside.
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Step 2
Preheat oven to 160°C/Gas 3.
To make the gratin
-
Step 1
separate the chard leaves from the stalks and blanch them in a large pan of boiling salted water for 1 minute. Drain well, refresh under cold running water, then squeeze out excess water. Set aside.
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Step 2
Cut the chard stalks across into 5mm strips. Bring the stock to the boil, add the chard stalks and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Drain the stalks and set aside, saving the stock for later.
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Step 3
Heat the butter in a pan, add the onion and cook gently for 15 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the anchovies, stirring until they dissolve into the mixture. Return to the heat and stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook very gently for 5 minutes. Slowly stir in the reserved chard stock until you have a thick sauce. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
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Step 4
Stir the chard stalks and leaves into the sauce, together with the grated Parmesan and some black pepper. Transfer the mixture to a gratin dish and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden. Cover with foil and a tea towel to keep warm while you cook the lamb.
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Step 5
Remove the lamb from the marinade. Increase oven heat to 220°C/Gas 7. Put the lamb on a roasting tray and cook in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn down the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4 and cook for a further 10-15, depending on how pink you like your lamb. Leave to rest for about 10 minutes, then serve with the gratin.