Easter roast recipe: Grégory Marchand’s stuffed leg of lamb with Jersey Royal potatoes

I love making this dish with family at Easter and it’s the one thing we make every year without exception. The lamb is just so tender and Jersey Royals, just in season, are the perfect accompaniment. Jersey Royals are a young potato full of nutty flavour with a great texture when cooked just right — don’t overcook them! Don’t forget to take your leg of lamb out of the fridge and let it get to room temperature before stuffing, which will ensure an even cook. Expect this recipe to take about an hour and a half or so, before the time spent resting the meat. Good luck and happy Easter.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the stuffing

• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• 50ml water
• 50ml white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 200g mint, blanched and coarsely chopped
• 200g sandwich bread, toasted and cooled
• 45g pistachio nuts, roasted and coarsely chopped
• 40g Parmesan cheese
• 3 anchovies
• Dash of Tabasco sauce
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp thyme

For the lamb

• 1 leg of lamb, deboned (you can ask your butcher to remove the bone)

For the Jersey royal potatoes

• 600g Jersey Royal potatoes
• 200g butter
• 1/2 bunch mint, minced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Pinch of salt

Method

1. For the stuffing, combine all the ingredients and cook over medium heat until the liquid evaporates and the shallots are translucent. The mixture should be moist and should hold its shape if rolled into a ball.
2. For the lamb, preheat the oven to 220°C (gas mark 7).
3. Stuff the leg and tie it up. Heat the oil in a skillet or frying pan and brown the meat well on all sides. Roast the leg with the lemons, halved, for 30 minutes, and then reduce the temperature to 180°C (gas mark 4) and cook for a further hour.
4. Take the meat out of the oven, wrap in aluminium foil, and rest for 20 minutes.
5. For the potatoes, in a stockpot, cover the potatoes with cold water and add plenty of salt. Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until they are soft, which should take about 20 minutes, then drain.
6. Heat the butter in a large skillet or frying pan and brown the potatoes over a low heat. Add the mint and season with lemon juice and salt.
7. Serve the potatoes in a side dish. Carve the lamb at the table and serve with the roasted lemons.