Zesty Roast Lamb & Herby Yoghurt

30min prep, 3 hours, 30min cook

Serves 6

Ingredients

2kg leg of lamb, at room temperature

Zest and juice of 2 lemons

1 heaped tbsp dried oregano

½ tbsp fennel seeds

50g salted butter

350ml Badger Firkin Fox Ale, or similar

3 tbsps rapeseed or olive oil

3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

1 celeriac, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

For the herby yoghurt:

½ cucumber, grated

1 tsp salt

1 heaped tsp dried mint

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

400g greek yoghurt

1 tbsp lemon juice

Watercress, to serve

Fennel, thinly sliced, to serve

Radishes, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/Fan 200ºC/Gas 6. Place the lamb in a large roasting tin and rub the lemon juice over the lamb. Grind together the oregano and fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar, then mix with the lemon zest, and a good amount of flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle this over the skin of the lamb and dot with butter.

Mix the beer with 350ml water and pour half around the lamb with the olive oil and roast for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 180ºC/Fan 160ºC/Gas 4. Add the potatoes, celeriac and the remaining beer and water. Cover tightly with foil and place back in the oven and cook for 3 hours. Check every hour, turning the vegetables and add a little more water if needed.

Meanwhile make the herby yoghurt; mix the cucumber and salt together, place in a sieve and leave for 20 minutes. Mix the mint and oregano with the olive oil and set aside. After 20 minutes, squeeze the excess water out of the cucumber and stir through the yoghurt with the herby oil and lemon juice, and season with black pepper. Serve the lamb shredded with the potatoes and herby yoghurt with watercress, fennel and radishes and let everyone help themselves.