Hands up if you love roast lamb?! But it can be an intimidating dish to get just right — tender, juicy and bursting with flavour. With this recipe, it's easy to serve up succulent roast lamb drizzled in a mouth-wateringly delicious gravy.

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 1hr 15 mins - 2 hours (depending on lamb preferences) | Serves: 8-10

For the lamb:

• 1 leg of lamb, weighing approximately 3 kg
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• Zest of 2 lemons
• Coarse salt and pepper
• 3 or 4 sprigs of rosemary

For the gravy:

• Peel of 2 lemons
• 250ml (1 cup) of stock
• 200ml white wine
• 3 tbsp cream (more if needed) OR a thickening agent of your choice
• Fresh mint leaves

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Using a sharp paring knife, make deep hole-like incisions all over the lamb leg and squeeze a few garlic cloves into each one as well as some rosemary.

3. Then get out your zester and cover the top of your lamb with the zest of two lemons.

4. Grind over salt and pepper and pop in the oven for 30 mins to brown the skin.

5. Turn the heat down to 170°C for the remainder of the cooking.
• For a rare roast: cook for a further 45 minutes
• For a medium rare roast: cook for a further 1 hour
• For a well done roast: cook for a further 1 hour and 20 minutes

6. Remove the lamb from the oven and then from the oven tray and onto a wooden board and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before carving.

7. To make the gravy, pour off any excess fat and try to keep the gritty bits. Place the roasting pan on the hob and add the lemon peel as it heats up. (If your roasting pan is not made for the hob, scrape all the bits into a small saucepan).
8. Whisk in the cup of stock and wine. Allow the alcohol to burn off, then stir in the cream or thickening agent and mint. If you would like the sauce to be more creamy add extra cream to your taste.

Serve the carved roast with the gravy and your favourite side dishes — and enjoy!