Sunday Dinner – Stefano Style

One thing the English do really well is Sunday dinner. 

Here I am not just talking about the meal itself, (although I have had some roast potatoes I would sell my grandmother for), but also the entire ritual – the gathering, the sharing of time, catching up with loved ones over a home prepared hearty meal.

So in deference to this English tradition, here is my take on an English Sunday dinner.

Red wine lamb with Italian beans – Serves 8

Ingredients

2kg leg of lamb

4 garlic cloves sliced

8 large sprigs of thyme

5 tbsp olive oil

Half a bottle red wine

Zest one lemon

1 litre hot lamb stock

3 red onions each cut into 6 wedges

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

For the beans           

2 rosemary, needles roughly chopped

100g sun blush tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped

4 x 400g cannellini beans

Handful of flat leaf parsley roughly chopped

Method

Using a sharp knife, cut small slashes all over the lamb, then push a slice of garlic into each.

Put half the thyme, 3 tbsp olive oil, wine, lemon zest and a good grinding of black pepper into a large freezer bag. Add the lamb, tie the bag tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.

Put the rest of the thyme into the bottom of a roasting tin then lift the lamb out of the marinade and sit on top of the thyme.

Roast for 20 minutes, then toss onions into the pan, drizzle with a little oil, then turn the oven down to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.

Roast for 15 minutes/450g for medium.

Meanwhile, strain the marinade into a pan, add most of the stock and boil until reduced by two thirds (this will take about 20 minutes).

Set aside. Gravy can be made ahead or the day before if necessary, as long as the meat has marinated for 4 hrs.

Once the lamb is ready, take out and rest on a board, wrapped in a tent of foil to keep warm.

Set the onions aside in a bowl.

Put the roasting tin onto a low heat and add the balsamic vinegar to the tin with a splash more stock and scrape all the meaty bits from the bottom. Tip into the jug with the gravy.

For the beans, add 2 tbsp oil to the roasting tin.

Add the rosemary and tomatoes, and fry for 1 min until the rosemary smells aromatic. Tip in the beans, the red onions and the final splash of stock, then warm through.

Season, then stir in the parsley just before serving.

Serve on a platter, topped with the lamb.