Slow-roasted lamb with roasted salsify, brussels sprouts tops and bagna cauda

Method

• step 1

  Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. To make the rub, mix the chopped rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, and 100ml extra-virgin olive oil and season well. Make some slashes in the lamb using a knife and rub the marinade in the cuts and all over the meat. Put the lamb in a roasting tray, skin-side up, cover tightly with foil and cook for 3¼ hours. Baste the lamb frequently to ensure the meat doesn’t dry out and it glazes as it cooks.

• step 2

  Wash and peel the salsify, putting it into cold water with a generous squeeze of lemon juice as you go, to stop it discolouring. Cut each salsify into 5cm pieces on an angle and return to the lemon water.

• step 3

  Remove the foil from the lamb, drain the salsify and add to the roasting tin, and let everything roast for another 45 minutes, turning the lamb regularly so it becomes golden.

• step 4

  Put the anchovies, milk and garlic in a small saucepan and cook on a low heat for about 15 minutes, taking care to not boil the milk. When the garlic has softened, pour into a blender and slowly add 150ml olive oil and the vinegar. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice and a hefty twist of black pepper. The sauce will emulsify and thicken. If it splits a little, don’t worry, you can re-blend it. Keep the sauce warm.

• step 5

  Pick off the leaves and any little sprouts from the stalk of the sprout tops, wash them well, and halve any larger sprouts. Blanch the tops and sprouts in the boiling salted water for 1 minute, then put in a bowl of iced water. This will help them keep their colour.

• step 6

  The lamb should fall apart and be very tender when it’s cooked. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.

• step 7

  When you’re ready to serve, drain and fry the tops in the butter and thyme. Pull the rested lamb apart with two forks, and serve with the roasted salsify, fresh rosemary sprigs, the buttered tops and the bagna cauda.