Step-by-step roast lamb

With just A few deli-bought ingredients, you can turn a lamb roast into a meal to remember. Perfume the meat during cooking with a stuffing of Greek-inspired flavours and a rub of aromatic herbs then roast with potatoes, artichokes and semi-dried tomatoes. Rest the meat as instructed so that it retains its juices and give the potatoes a final blast of heat to ensure their crunchiness.

You will need

• 1 bunch (400g) spinach, stalks discarded
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 80g Greek feta, crumbled
• 2 tbs chopped marjoram or oregano
• 3 tsp chopped thyme, plus 12 sprigs
• 1 egg yolk
• 2kg boned (easy-carve) leg of lamb
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 1/2 tbs olive oil
• 1kg desiree potatoes, each cut into thirds
• 300g (12) marinated artichokes, drained and halved
• 200g semi-dried tomatoes

Serves 6-8

1. Preheat oven to 250°C. Place spinach in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over. Stand for 30 seconds. Drain. Refresh under cold water then squeeze dry and chop finely. Place in a bowl. Add shallot, feta, ½ the chopped herbs and egg yolk. Season to taste with salt. Stir to combine. Open lamb. Spoon stuffing over centre then close and secure with kitchen string at 2cm intervals. Secure end with a skewer.
2. Using a sharp knife, make about 12, 1cm-deep incisions into lamb. Heat a heavy-based roasting pan in oven for 10 minutes. Add lamb, fat-side down, to pan and roast for 10 minutes. Turn right way up then brush with combined remaining chopped herbs, garlic and 1½ tbs oil. Reduce oven temperature to 200°C. Return lamb to oven and roast for a further 30 minutes.
3. Toss potatoes together with remaining oil. Season to taste then place around lamb with thyme sprigs. Roast lamb for a further 20 minutes. Remove lamb from pan and rest, covered loosely with foil, for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, turn oven to fan setting or increase heat to 220°C. Add artichokes and tomatoes to pan. Roast for 20 minutes or until potatoes are golden. Serve with lamb.

Lamb tips

• Lamb is from animals younger than 12 months of age. Spring lamb is 3-10 months old – despite its name, it is also available in other seasons. Hogget is from sheep aged 15-25 months old and is more fully flavoured than lamb. Mutton is from sheep older than two years of age.

• Legs of lamb are sold either bone-in, or easy-carve. The latter variety has been partially boned, to allow for easy carving or a small amount of stuffing. Butterflied legs of lamb have had all their bones removed. They’re great for stuffing and rolling, or for marinating then barbecuing.

Recipe & styling: Sophia Young. Photography: Andrew Lehmann. Food preparation: Lisa Featherby.