|
Preheat
oven to 190C/375F/Gas5. Make a few
shallow slits in the lamb and push
in 2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary and
a few slivers of garlic, just enough
to add a little flavour without being
overbearing. Place in a roasting tin,
spread a very little fat over the
top and roast in the centre of the
oven for 90 minutes, basting occasionally,
until the lamb is tender and still
pink but not bloody. Immediately remove
the rosemary and garlic and rest the
lamb somewhere warm for about 20 minutes
while you make the gravy.
Pour the
raspberry beer into a small pan, set
aside a few stalks of redcurrants
and add the rest to the pan, then
bring slowly to simmering point and
cook uncovered until reduced by about
one-third, by which time the redcurrants
will be tender. Strain beer into a
jug, retaining the redcurrants.
Pour off
most of the fat from the roasting
tin - lamb is fatty meat and you don't
want greasy gravy - then heat on top
of the stove, stirring in the plain
flour to make a smooth roux, and cook
it out until brown. Slowly stir in
the potato water, then simmer briskly
until reduced by half to a thick garvy.
Stir in the strained raspberry beer
a little at a time until it reaches
pouring consistancy and is a deep
crimson, then season with a pinch
of salt to bring out the fruit and
finally add the cooked redcurrants.
To Serve:
carve the lamb in thick slices around
the bone and set each slice on a pool
of raspberry beer gravy, filling the
'bone hole' with hot redcurrants on
the stalk.
|
