Roasting a leg of lamb has never been easier. All you do is put everything into a dish, cover and leave for about 2 hours. Provencale lamb is served well done and accompanied with rosemary and thyme-sweetened vegetables and haricot beans garnished with garlic. Especially delicious with creamy onion mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup haricot beans soaked for 4 hours or overnight in 3 cups water
• 2 kilogram leg of lamb
• a stem of fresh rosemary leaves and a handful of fresh thyme
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 onion, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, peeled and diced
• 1 leek, trimmed washed and diced
• 1 bulb garlic, halved
• 3 cups vegetable stock, diluted (or chicken stock or water)

Method

1. Soak beans overnight in 3 cups water.
2. Take the leg of lamb and make 3-4 deep slashes in the thickest part. Rub with pepper, salt, a little oil and a few crushed rosemary and thyme leaves. Place in a deep baking dish.
3. Drain the beans and rinse well. Scatter the beans, carrots, onions, celery, leeks and remaining rosemary and thyme around the lamb. Place the halved garlic cut side up into the vegetables.
4. Pour over the stock or water and cover loosely with foil.
5. Bake at 180ºC for 2 hours. Remove the cover and increase the temperature to 200ºC for a further 30 minutes. Stand for 10 minutes.
6. Squeeze the cooked pulp from the garlic bulbs into the vegetables and broth, discarding the skins and core. Stir gently to mix through. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Discard stems or twigs of cooked herbs. Slice the lamb into hearty slices and serve.