How to roast Easter lamb

Easter is almost upon us and with it comes the mouth-watering prospect of roast lamb. It has become increasingly fashionable in recent years to eschew the leg and do a slow-cooked, meltingly tender shoulder of lamb for a Sunday roast. Rightly so, for the shoulder meat is rich and delicious, but when it comes to Easter there is something suitably grand and evocative of the new season about a whole leg brought to the table, pink in the middle and surrounded by spring veg.

Rubbing it all over with olive oil, sea salt, garlic and rosemary is a classic preparation – adding some lemon zest too gives a welcome freshness. Or make incisions all over the leg and stuff with the garlic (peeled and halved) and rosemary (cut into little matchstick-sized sprigs) before rubbing over olive oil and salt. It takes a little longer but looks the part and enables the flavour to penetrate.