Ingredients

2kg fresh broad beans

in the pod, or 550g/1lb 4oz frozen
3 tbsp olive oil

1 carrot

2 garlic clove, chopped

1 tsp golden caster sugar, plus a pinch

1 tsp tomato purée



sprig of fresh thyme

1 leg of lamb

50g butter
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
buttered new potatoes

250ml lamb or chicken stock

Cook: 2 HRS, 30 MINS - 3 HRS

Method

1)The day before, pod the beans.

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and have ready a bowl of iced water.

Drop the beans into the water, return to a rolling boil (2-3 minutes), drain and plunge them into the iced water to cool (about 2 minutes).

Drain, then squeeze each one between your thumb and forefinger to skin them.

Keep covered in the fridge.

2)Make the gravy.

Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a pan, add the carrot, onion, celery and garlic and brown them for 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the sugar and tomato purée and let this brown too, then pour in 4 tbsp vinegar and reduce to a syrupy glaze.

 Then add the thyme or rosemary and the stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Strain, leave to cool, cover and keep in the fridge.

3)One and a half hours before serving, preheat the oven to 240C/gas 9/fan 220C.

Rub the lamb very well with salt, pepper and the remaining olive oil, then put it on a rack in a heavy roasting tin and roast for 45 minutes for very rare.

Test by pushing a skewer into the centre of the meat – the tip should come out cool but not cold.

Leave the meat to rest in the oven with the door left open a little and the temperature turned down to 110C/ gas 1⁄4/fan 90C.

After 15 minutes the meat should be an even rosy pink.

4)Melt the butter in a saucepan, add a pinch of sugar, the mint, a good pinch of salt.

Stew for a minute, then tip in the beans and 2-3 tbsp water and stew for 2-3 minutes more.

5)Reheat the gravy in a saucepan, tipping in any meat juices.

To serve, carve the lamb into thick slices. Put 2-3 slices on each plate with the beans and gravy.

Serve with buttered new potatoes.