Lamb boulangere with pepper and mint salsa recipe

Lamb boulangere allows all the juices from the tender slow-roasted lamb to ooze into the potatoes, making this an irresistible dinner recipe. We think this would be the perfect family sharing meal for Easter Sunday but it would be just as delicious at any other time of the year too. We paired this melting lamb with a punchy salsa, for that little bit more flavour. Because all the lamb juices will have been soaked up by the potatoes in this lamb boulangere recipe, you won't need gravy - trust us, it's delicious just as it is!

Ingredients

• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4tbsp mint, chopped
• 2tbsp rosemary, chopped
• 125g (4oz) butter
• 1 leg of lamb, weighing around 2.5kg
• 2kg waxy potatoes, such as King Edward, finely sliced in a food processor
• 1 onion, sliced and blanched in boiling water for 2 mins
• 600ml vegetable stock

For the pepper and mint salsa

• 3 red peppers
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, sliced
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• 2tbsp capers, rinsed
• 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1tsp runny honey
• 2tbsp chopped mint leaves

You will need:

• 4.5ltr roasting tin

Method

1. Heat the oven to 160°C or Gas Mark 3. Butter a roasting tin and find a rack that rests on top of it.
2. Put the garlic, mint, rosemary and butter in a bowl and mix everything together. Season well.
3. Put the lamb on a board and trim away any excess fat. Make about 8 deep cuts all over the meat. Spread the butter mixture into the cuts, then smear the rest all over the leg. Season generously.
4. Layer the potatoes and onion in the roasting tin, seasoning well as you go along. Pour the vegetable stock over them.
5. Put the lamb on a roasting rack and rest over the potatoes. Roast for 3½ hours, covering with foil; uncover for the final 30 mins to brown.
6. Meanwhile, for the salsa, put the peppers on a tray, drizzle with oil and roast with the lamb for 45 mins, or until their skins are slightly charred. Put in a bowl, cover with cling film and cool. Put the red onion in another bowl, add the lemon juice, season with salt and leave to marinate. Peel the peppers, slice the flesh and add to the onion bowl with any juice. Add the capers, oil, vinegar, honey and mint. Season. Stir everything together.
7. Put the roasted lamb on a board, cover with foil and rest for 10 mins before serving. Serve meat sliced with the potatoes and the pepper salsa.