MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06 Title: Roast Lamb With Rosemary And Garlic Categories: Irish, Lamb Yield: 6 Servings MMMMM----------------------------LAMB--------------------------------- 2 1/2 kg Leg of lamb; on the bone 4 cl Garlic; up to 5; sliced into -slivers 3 Rosemary sprigs; leaves -finely chopped 3 tb Rapeseed oil Sea salt and ground black -pepper MMMMM----------------WILD GARLIC PESTO, (OPTIONAL--------------------- 100 g Wild garlic; washed and -dried 50 g Pine nuts 75 g Parmesan or mature Coolea -cheese; grated 350 ml Extra virgin olive oil or -Irish rapeseed oil MMMMM-----------------BRAISED BABY GEM AND PEAS---------------------- 1 tb Butter 100 g Smoked streaky bacon; -roughly chopped 1/2 Lemon; zest of 75 ml White wine 2 Thyme sprigs; up to 3 50 ml Chicken stock 200 g Frozen peas 6 Spring onions; trimmed and -sliced in half 6 Baby gem lettuce; sliced in -half Cooking time: 120 minutes I love using the classic combo of garlic & rosemary to flavour lamb. An easy side dish to serve alongside the roast lamb is simply braised baby gem, with peas in white wine and thyme. In springtime, wild garlic appears all across Ireland in shaded woodland areas. It is easy to recognise from its distinctive garlic smell. The leaves can be harvested and treated like any salad leaf or used to make a pesto to serve alongside the lamb. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Place the lamb in a large roasting dish. Make a number of incisions all over the lamb and stud with the garlic slivers and rosemary sprigs. Drizzle with rapeseed oil and generously sprinkle with sea salt and ground black pepper. Place in the oven to roast for 15 minutes per 500 g (1 lb) for medium rare or longer if you prefer your meat more well done. Remove from the oven and rest under tin foil before serving in thin slices. Optional Wild Garlic Pesto: For the pesto place all the ingredients in a food processor or pestle and mortar and blitz until smooth. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Set aside. For the braised baby gem and peas, melt the butter in a large high sided frying pan. Fry the bacon until sizzling and crisp. Pour in the wine and allow to sizzle for about 30 seconds before adding the thyme sprigs, lemon zest, and chicken stock. Add the peas to the liquid and then nuzzle in the spring onions and Baby Gem lettuce. Cover with a lid and cook for about 5-8 minutes until the lettuce is just braised. Serve with slices of the warm lamb. Recipe by Donal Skehan Recipe FROM: MMMMM