Herb-roast saddle of lamb with dauphinoise potatoes

Serves - 4 to 6

You’ll need

• 1 saddle of lamb, around 1–1.2kg, boned and rolled
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
• 2 rosemary sprigs, leaves finely chopped
• 1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 small handful mint, finely chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

For the dauphinoise potatoes
• 1kg potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, halved
• 300ml double cream
• 250ml milk
• 1 small thyme sprig
• 100g Gruyère or Comté, finely grated, optional
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Get the lamb ready

Heat the oven to 190°C fan. Pat the saddle of lamb dry with kitchen paper and put it into a roasting tin or ovenproof dish. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, parsley, mint, lemon zest, a good pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. Rub this all over the lamb so it is properly coated rather than merely dotted about and hoping for the best.

2. Start the dauphinoise

Rub a baking dish with the cut sides of the halved garlic cloves, then lightly grease it. In a saucepan, gently warm the cream, milk and thyme with a good pinch of salt and black pepper. You do not need it boiling away enthusiastically – just hot enough to get things moving in the right direction.

3. Build the potatoes

Layer the sliced potatoes into the dish, seasoning lightly as you go. Pour over the warm cream mixture, making sure the potatoes are mostly covered. Scatter over the cheese if using. It is not absolutely essential, but it does bring a little extra savoury comfort, which is rarely a problem.

4. Get everything in the oven

Put the dauphinoise into the oven first and bake for 20 minutes. Then put the lamb in alongside it and roast for 25–30 minutes for pink, or a little longer if you prefer it more done. By the end, the lamb should be bronzed and aromatic, and the potatoes should be soft underneath with a golden top that looks very much worth the wait.

5. Rest the lamb

Lift the lamb onto a board or warm plate, cover loosely with foil and leave it to rest for 15 minutes. This is not a fussy extra. It keeps the meat juicy and gives you far nicer slices when it comes to serving.

6. Finish the dauphinoise

While the lamb rests, return your attention to the potatoes. If the top needs a little more colour, give it another 5–10 minutes in the oven. You want the potatoes tender all the way through and the top nicely golden, not pale and still slightly resistant in the middle.

7. Carve and serve

Slice the lamb thickly and serve with generous spoonfuls of the dauphinoise alongside. Spoon over any resting juices from the lamb and take it to the table while everything still feels warm, rich and properly inviting.

A couple of helpful notes
- If your saddle of lamb is thicker or thinner than average, adjust the roasting time slightly and use the feel of the meat as your guide rather than clinging too rigidly to the clock.
- A sharply dressed green salad or some simply cooked beans alongside would work very nicely to balance the richness of the potatoes.
- The dauphinoise can be assembled a little ahead of time, which makes the whole thing feel much more relaxed when it comes to getting dinner on the table.