The melting texture of the slowly poached lamb marries perfectly with the aromatic capers in the sauce. Some lightly steamed carrots and buttered new potatoes are perfect accompaniments. For this dish, you will need a large pan or deep flameproof casserole for poaching the lamb.
Ask your butcher to cut through the shinbone to shorten the leg and tie it into a neat shape so that it cooks evenly.
Serves 8-10
2.5kg leg of lamb at room temperature, trimmed of any excess fat
2 carrots, peeled
2 onions, peeled
2 pieces celery, washed and trimmed
1 small bunch parsley stalks
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 litres lamb or chicken stock
For the sauce:
25g butter, melted
25g flour
2 tbsp capers, drained
1 tbsp chopped parsley
50ml double cream
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the lamb into a deep casserole and add the vegetables and herbs. Cover with stock and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for one hour, turning the leg half way through so that it cooks evenly. If you have a temperature probe, the thickest part of the lamb should be no less than 45C before you remove it from the heat. Remove from the pan and leave to rest for at least half an hour.
During this time, the heat in the meat will equalise so that the lamb should be cooked through perfectly. An internal temperature of 55C will give lovely pink lamb. Use a ladle to take out 1.2 litres of stock from the pan then boil it in a large pan over a high heat to reduce it by half.
To make the sauce, place 25g butter in a pan over a medium heat and add the flour once the butter has begun to melt. Cook, stirring for two or three minutes, until the mixture foams and begins to smell nutty. Add the reduced stock little by little, and use a flat whisk to combine the mixture into a smooth sauce. Finish with cream and lemon juice.
Season to taste with a little salt and pepper and simmer gently for five minutes over a low heat. Add the chopped capers and the parsley, and season again if required.
To serve, carve the meat into thin slices and dress with the sauce and some freshly cooked vegetables.