Dorset Lamb and Rosemary Gravy

Dorset is lamb country, from the downs to the coast, and a leg of it on a Sunday needs a gravy that tastes of the meat rather than of flour. This one leans on reduction more than thickener, with rosemary going in whole and coming out again, and just enough redcurrant to give the sharpness lamb always wants. It stays glossy and pourable rather than thick.

Ingredients

Makes about 500ml, enough for six plates

• 2 tbsp fat from the lamb roasting tin skim the rest off
• 2 garlic cloves roasted under the joint, squeezed out of their skins
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 150ml (5fl oz) red wine
• 600ml (1 pint) lamb or chicken stock hot
• 2 sprigs rosemary whole, removed later
• 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• salt and black pepper

Kit

• Roasting tin
• Whisk
• Fine sieve

Method

1. Rest the lamb and pour the fat out of the tin into a bowl, then spoon 2 tablespoons of it back in. Lamb throws a lot of fat and a greasy gravy is the usual result of not doing this.

2. Set the tin over a medium heat, mash in the soft roasted garlic and stir in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, scraping the base with a whisk. One tablespoon of flour only, because this gravy gets its body from reduction.

3. Pour in the wine and let it bubble hard for 3 minutes, scraping constantly, until it has reduced by half and lost its raw smell.

4. Add the stock and the whole rosemary sprigs. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a fast simmer.

5. Simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes until it has reduced by about a third. It should coat the back of a spoon but still run off it easily. Overcooked rosemary turns medicinal, so pull the sprigs out at the 8 minute mark and taste.

6. Whisk in the redcurrant jelly until it dissolves, then the vinegar.

7. Strain through a fine sieve, stir in any juices from the resting lamb, and season. It should taste bright and slightly sweet against the fat of the meat. If it tastes only rich, add a few more drops of vinegar.

Tips worth knowing

• Stud the lamb with rosemary and garlic before roasting and the tin does half the work for you. What is left in the base is worth more than anything you add later.
• Pull the rosemary before it goes bitter. Two sprigs for eight to ten minutes is about the limit, and chopped rosemary left in the gravy is too much for most people.
• If your redcurrant jelly is very sweet, start with half a tablespoon and build up. It varies a lot between brands and it is easy to overshoot.
• Pour the gravy through a fine sieve rather than a coarse one. This is a smooth gravy and stray bits of garlic skin or rosemary needle are obvious in it.

Keeping and reheating

Keeps 3 days in the fridge and freezes for 3 months. It sets to a soft jelly if your stock was good. Reheat gently and check the seasoning again, since reduction gravies taste flatter cold.

Questions people ask