Slow-roasted leg of Welsh Lamb with anchovies, garlic, rosemary and lemons

Serves 6-8 Starters and mains

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Method

To make the sweet and sour shallots, put the unpeeled shallots in a heatproof bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Leave for 20 minutes, then drain. Cut a little off the root end of each shallot and peel, breaking it into lobes as you do so.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a low-medium heat and brown the shallots on all sides for 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the sugar in a small pan along with 2tbsp water and heat over a low heat to dissolve the sugar. When it looks clear, increase the heat a little and cook to a rich golden caramel. Turn off the heat, then add all but 1tbsp of the vinegar and stir.

Put the heat back on and then add the fried shallots. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes until syrupy and reduced. Add the capers and the remaining 1tbsp vinegar, transfer to a dish and leave to cool. Cover and chill until 30 minutes before serving.

Preheat the oven to 190C/ 170C F/Gas 5. Using the sharp point of a knife, make a few holes in the skin of the meat and push in pieces of anchovy. You can use some of the leaves from the woody end of the rosemary branches to make it easier.

Using a pestle and mortar, grind the fennel seeds, pepper and salt, then rub evenly over the lamb leg.

Using the same knife as before, make 3 open-ended incisions horizontally through the surface of the meat and thread the rosemary through so the end of each sprig pops out of the hole at the other end.

Put the sliced onion in a large roasting tin to act as a trivet for the lamb. Place the lamb on the onion slices and spoon over 3tbsp of the oil. Add 120ml water to the tin and cover with foil. Put the garlic and lemons on a small oven tray and brush with the remaining oil, put in the oven along with the lamb and roast for 20 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 170C/ 150C F/Gas 3 and cook the lamb for 3-4 hours. After 30 minutes, check to see if the garlic is soft. If so, remove it along with the lemons, then return to the oven for a few minutes to warm through once the lamb is cooked to perfection. Check the lamb every now and then to see if more water is needed. If you need to add more, you can use the liquid (with the fat strained and skimmed off), to serve alongside the lamb. You will need to check whether the lamb is cooked after 3 hours – it should fall apart easily.

Once cooked, discard the sliced onions and allow the meat to rest for 20 minutes. Serve alongside the sweet and sour shallots, with the warm garlic bulbs for people to pop and the cooked lemons to squeeze over.

Welsh Lamb comes with PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status, ensuring its quality, integrity and provenance. Produced by caring farmers, traditional flocks are farmed non-intensively across grasslands peppered with heather and fragrant wild herbs just as they have been since the 14th century. The result is a unique taste of Wales – versatile, succulent, sweet and tender.

This recipe was taken from the August/September 2021 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.