Roasted Short Saddle of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary Butter

I am a massive fan of turkey for Christmas. I love it with bread sauce, love it with cranberry  (the jammy chutney kind, not the runny sauce kind), love it with gravy, love it cold in sandwiches. It gets a big thumbs up from me! It might be different if it was just me and my husband for Christmas lunch though. 

I know you can get turkey crowns and those sorts of alternatives, but I might be tempted to try something different, if not on Christmas day, then on Christmas eve. One possibility is saddle of lamb. You can buy it, bone in or bone out from most butchers, some online sellers and some supermarkets. It's one of the more expensive cuts of lamb, so it's definitely worth keeping it for a treat! I used a boneless short saddle, which had been rolled and tied for me, for this recipe. I got it from Donald Russell when it was on special offer: Donald Russell. It cooks for a total of 35 mins plus 10 mins resting, so it times well with making roast potatoes etc.

If you fancy something different this Christmas, give this a try.





Ingredients
(serves 3)


475g short saddle of lamb (boneless)
15g butter (softened)
2 tsp rosemary
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 tsp coarse salt

Method

1. Mix the garlic, rosemary butter and salt together well, until you have quite a smooth buttery paste.

2. Put the lamb into a roasting tin and score the fat at regular intervals with a very sharp knife.
3. Rub the butter mixture all over the outside. Use a spoon if you're a bit squeamish!
4. Put the lamb in a pre-heated oven at 220  (210 fan or gas mark 7) for 15 minutes.
5. Turn the heat down to 170 (160 fan or gas mark 4), turn the lamb over and cook for another 20 minutes.
6.  Switch the oven off and leave the meat to rest inside.
7. Carve into slices and serve with roast potatoes and gravy!







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