Roast Leg of Lamb - Jamie Oliver

A bit of a cheat post...a link to a video.
I don’t eat red meat so cooking a leg of lamb for a family dinner was not as simple as perhaps it should be.
I watched this very old video from Jamie Oliver and gave it a go. Easy and was well received.
I used lots of rosemary instead of sage.

I made a pulpy paste of lots of garlic, rosemary, lemon zest, salt and olive oil to stuff into the slits in the lamb. Bake at about 200-220 degrees c. Place on rack with veges under to catch the fat that drips off.
It takes about an hour for 2kg leg of lamb.
Jamie says 13 minutes per pound + 20, then rest for 20. I’ve found it to be a bit less.

Using a digital thermometer we took it to 55 degrees c, rested it and it went to  about 62 which made most of the meat well done.
Next time we will take it out at 50-52, rest and it should go to 55 degrees or slightly over which should be medium - medium rare.

https://youtu.be/4-CeoHHDYw8

Sweet cherry tomato and sausage bake

Once again, this is a recipe to use up the tomatoes growing in my summer garden. Its from Jamie Oliver and has the benefit of being able to prepare ahead and being a 'one tray bake' meal.

I added a few extra herbs and vegetables that I had in the garden...basis, fresh oregano, thyme, rosemary, bay and peppers/capscium and leeks.


I served it with baked potato - they cooked in oven at the same time and sweetcorn - the last of the season.
If you are cooking baked potatoes, put them in the oven at the same time as the tray first goes in.

Ingredients

• 2 kg lovely ripe cherry tomatoes , mixed colours if you can find them
• 2-3 Capscium chopped 
• 2-3 spring onion chopped
• 2 red onion chopped 

• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

• 2 sprigs fresh bay

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 3 cloves garlic , peeled and chopped

• 12 higher-welfare Cumberland or coarse Italian pork sausages (I used some chicken and some beef)

• extra virgin olive oil

• balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C
2. Get yourself an appropriately sized roasting tray, large enough to take the tomatoes in one snug-fitting layer. Put in all your tomatoes, capscium, onion and spring onion, the herb sprigs, oregano, garlic. Drizzle well with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Toss together. Bake for about an hour.
3. Add the sausages are on top and pop the tray into the oven for half an hour. After this time, give it a shake and turn the sausages over. Put back into the oven for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how golden and sticky you like your sausages.
4. Once it’s cooked, you’ll have an intense, tomatoey sauce. If it’s a little too thin, lift out the sausages and place the tray on the hob to cook it down to the consistency you like – I tend to make mine quick thick – then put the sausages back in.
5. Check the seasoning and serve either with a good-quality loaf of bread warmed through in a low oven for 10 minutes (great for mopping up the sauce!) or with mashed potato, rice or polenta, a green salad and a nice glass of wine.