Roast Mutton Leg with Walnut & Mint Pesto

Roast Mutton Leg with Walnut & Mint Pesto

Ingredients

Spring · Serves 4-6

  • 1kg (2lb 4oz)

    roasting potatoes

  • 2 tablespoons

    beef dripping

  • 1 whole

    leg of mutton

  • 2

    garlic bulbs

  • 3–4

    rosemary sprigs, leaves picked

  • a few

    thyme sprigs, leaves picked

  • flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • For the walnut and mint pesto

    100g (3½oz)

    walnuts

  • 1 bunch

    mint, leaves picked

  • 1 bunch

    chives

  • 1 bunch

    flat-leaf parsley

  • 5–6 tablespoons

    extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons

    cider vinegar

  • flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Buy available ingredients
Recipe image

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

Peel the potatoes, cut them up into large pieces and tip them into a saucepan. Cover with plenty of cold, salted water and set them over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 8–10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain in a colander and leave to steam for at least 5 minutes. It's well worth tumbling the potatoes around in the colander once or twice to rough up their edges, as this makes them even crisper.

Meanwhile, spoon the beef dripping into a large, heavy-based roasting tray and place it in the oven to heat up. Once lovely and hot, carefully tip the potatoes into the tray. Use a spatula to turn them through the beef fat, making sure they've all got a little space, then generously season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes into the oven for 15 minutes.

Season the leg of mutton with salt and slice the garlic bulbs in half. Add the mutton leg to the roasting tray with the potatoes, along with the garlic. Place the tray back in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove the tray from the oven and use a potato masher to slightly squish the potatoes. Add the rosemary and thyme to the tray. Turn the oven down to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 and cook for a further 25 minutes per kg of the weight of the mutton leg. For best results, use a meat thermometer: insert in the thickest part of the joint (not next to the bone) – the target temperature is 55°C/130°F.

Remove the mutton from the oven and leave to rest for 20 minutes. Remove the garlic from the roasting tray and set to one side, as you'll need this for the next step.

While the mutton is resting, make the mint pesto. Lightly toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan. Once toasted, add them to a blender, followed by the mint, chives, parsley, roasted garlic cloves squeezed from their skins, extra virgin olive oil, cider vinegar and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Give everything a good blitz until a perfect pesto consistency has formed.

Serve the crispy potatoes alongside thick slices of mutton with generous dollops of pesto.
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