A leg of lamb is often a family favourite and if you opt for a carvery leg of lamb (without the bone) you will find it much easier to cook and carve for serving. Ask your butcher to prepare it for you. Rather than serving it with the trimmings, serve the lamb with steamed vegetables, tossed with mint butter and fluffy mashed roasted garlic parsnips and potatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 carvery leg of lamb
• 2 bulbs garlic
• ¼ cup honey (rewarewa or manuka)

tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 cups light beef stock
• Mashed parsnips and spuds with roasted garlic
• 500 grams starchy potatoes
• 250 grams parsnips
• 50 grams butter
• ¼ cup milk or cream

Method

1. Weigh the lamb. Season the lamb well with salt and pepper and place on a rack above a roasting dish. Wrap the garlic bulbs in foil and place beside the lamb.
2. Cook at 160ºC for 30 minutes per 500g (or at 200ºC for 20 minutes per 500g) or until the lamb is cooked to your liking. This guide is for medium. The garlic will take about 1- 1½ hours to cook until a skewer can easily be inserted. Once this is cooked, remove and continue cooking the lamb. In the last 15 minutes of cooking time, glaze the lamb with the honey. Once the lamb is cooked, set aside to rest.
3. Cut one bulb of garlic in half horizontally and squeeze the pulp into the roasting tray. Add the tomato paste and cook over a low heat for about 1 minute. Stir in the beef stock and then simmer for 15 minutes until reduced by half. Season well with salt and pepper.
4. Carve the lamb and serve with the Jus and Garlic Mashed Snips and Spuds.

Garlic Mashed Snips and Spuds

1. Cook the potatoes and parsnips in boiling salted water until tender. Drain. Cut the remaining garlic bulb in half and squeeze the pulp into the vegetables. Add the butter, milk or cream and a good seasoning of salt. Mash until smooth.