* Serves 6<\/p>\n
1 large leg of lamb* (about 3 kg),<\/p>\n
45 ml olive oil,<\/p>\n
salt and pepper,<\/p>\n
3 sprigs rosemary, woody stems removed,<\/p>\n
chopped, 2 whole heads of garlic, horizontally sliced in half<\/p>\n
\u00becup (180 ml) balsamic vinegar,<\/p>\n
1 cup (250 ml) port wine,<\/p>\n
1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine,<\/p>\n
about 8 large ripe black figs, some halved, some whole<\/p>\n
*note: Ask your butcher to bend the long end of the leg bone by cutting almost through it but not all the way. This way it will fi t snugly into a large roasting tray without hanging over the side.<\/p>\n
Preheat the oven to 160\u00b0C. Place the leg of lamb inside a large deep roasting tray, fatty
\nside down. Drizzle it all over with oil and season it generously with salt, pepper, and
\nchopped rosemary on both sides. Arrange the garlic head halves around it, then pour
\nthe vinegar, port and white wine into the bottom. Cover with a lid or foil, then roast for
\n3 hours. Remove from the oven, then use tongs to turn the leg over with the fatty side
\nto the top. Cover and roast for another 2 hours. Remove the tray from the oven and
\nturn the heat up to 200\u00b0C. Return the leg to the oven for 20 minutes, then add the figs
\naround the meat and roast for another 10 minutes – the figs should be just warm and
\nsoft, not falling apart.<\/p>\n
Serve warm in the tray as a festive centrepiece, with a side of rice or potatoes or roast
\nvegetables and salad.<\/p>\n
Saucy\u2026<\/strong> More: www.cookingwithlamb.com<\/p>\n Recipe: THE FOOD FOX. Photo: TASHA SECCOMBE<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" * Serves 6 1 large leg of lamb* (about 3 kg), 45 ml olive oil, salt and pepper, 3 sprigs rosemary, woody stems removed, chopped, 2 whole heads of garlic, horizontally sliced in half \u00becup (180 ml) balsamic vinegar, 1 cup (250 ml) port wine, 1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine, about 8 large […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":1641,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[103],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1640","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-food-wine"},"yoast_head":"\n
\nThis roast makes a hearty yet thin sauce – remove some of the fat from the top by
\nskimming it off with a spoon at the end of the cooking process. If you prefer a thicker
\ngravy, pour the skimmed sauce into a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and thicken
\nslightly by reducing it by \u00bcor by adding 2-3 teaspoons of corn fl our (mix it to a slurry
\nconsistency with a few teaspoons of water before adding it). Stir well until thickened.<\/p>\n