
If you are planning a feast of any kind this week or weekend I urge you to give this a go. It doesn’t need much looking after and takes about thirty seconds to put together.





Slow Cooked Leg of Lamb
Equipment
- Casserole Pot or Dutch Oven
- Kitchen Paper
Ingredients
- 1.5kg Leg of Lamb
- 2 Large Yellow Onions (roughly chopped)
- 200 g Chestnuts (ready-roasted and vacuum packed)
- 4/5 Whole Carrots (peeled)
- 2 Large Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
- 200 ml Maple Syrup
- 1 Pint Water
- 2 Lamb/Beef Stock Cubes
- 1 tsp Corn Flour (heaped)
Instructions
- Ask your butcher for a leg of lamb weighing 1.5kg
- Pat it dry with some kitchen paper
- Lightly score the fat, not cutting as far down as the meat
- Place the joint on a bed of two roughly chopped onions
- Sprinkle 200g of chestnuts in to the pot – you can buy them ready-roasted and vacuum packed
- And add four or five peeled whole carrots
- Tuck two large sprigs of fresh rosemary down the sides of the meat
- And pour 200ml of maple syrup all over the meat – if you think you may like it a little less sweet then use 150ml or 100 ml of syrup
- Add a pint of water and place a lid on the pot
- Put in to the oven at 150c / 300f for two hours
- After two hours turn the oven up to 220c / 425f and cook for a further two hours or until you can twist a fork in the meat and it comes easily away. It may take longer than two hours.
- After one hour at the higher temperature crumble two beef stock/Oxo cubes in to the pot – stir
- Then add a heaped teaspoon of cornflour to a cup of cold water, mix well and add to the pot – stir

You can see how tender the meat became after cooking slowly for so long as it is sliding off the bone in this picture.
You don’t even want to consider taking a carving knife to this joint. You simply want to take the pot to the table and pull it away with a fork and a spoon before placing it on plates.

All of my oven gloves look like this, these are Emma Bridgewater. I’m quite proud of them. I find it hard to break new pairs in as they are a little stiff to start with. I look at them, in their filthy state, and am reminded of how much I love to cook, experiment and get creative with food. And also how messy a cook I really am.

As clean as any bone you are ever likely to see.
Serve the lamb with wilted or creamed spinach and some buttery mashed potatoes. Then relax in front of the television with your latest episide of Outlander and a UGE glass of full bodies red. You won’t even notice the nap beginning.
Huge love, Cx
Oh Cherry, I love the photographs of your home basked in the gentle light from candles and fairy lights. Summer is all very well but it is the ‘cosy’ tales of hearty, warming meals and family evenings around the fire that I relish – more please!
That looks really lovely….think I might have to give that one a go….loved the way that carrot fitted around that leg of lamb lol x
What a lovely evening you had. I like the sound of this recipe, so I think it’ll be on the menu here, soon.
Have a lovely weekend.
Sue x
I too am a messy cook and my gramma was a good and messy cook as well. She is the one where I went for validation and stories and times around the piano singing oldies. I loved those times and wonder if my kids missed much by traveling around the west till they were older. Each life has special memories though.
Amazing receipe! My boyfriends parents are coming over for dinner on Sunday and I was going to make lamb and now I even have the receipe to go with….I was a bit unsure how to make it, but you saved the day Cherry!
As if you read my mind! Have a fab weekend!
x
Wonderful post and photos!
Yummy! It’s rather difficult for us to get a leg of lamb here where I live. Can you imagine that? But…I can get wonderful elk or buffalo meat right up and down my road within only a few miles. That’s yummy, too.
You papa is nice looking. Do I see Ned in his face? I think so.
Have a wonderful time at the apple farm. I am going to pick my very first crop of Honeycrisp apples today. There are not tons but anything is very welcome!
I made this last night for my extended family to rave reviews. Thanks for the recipe and I hope you are enjoying what’s left of your weekend. xx
Yum… Slurp… Dribble 😀
I’m gonna cook this one on Wednesday eve to celebrate my Dad finishing cancer treatment and me closing my business – Thank you!!!
xx
Careful – I sense CherryPapa attracting quite a fan club!
Hi what a dream.I just love to do all the things that u yourself do and i found that after viewing your wounderful life i have been spured on to better things.and may i just add the twins look totally adorable and the lamb is a deffo on the menu for this sunday yum yum ,take care x
Lamb just falls off the bone, lovely !!!!
Sauce is to die for sweet but not too much, loved this if you do not try another lamb dish you need to try this !! Loved it loved it- more of the same please
LOVELY! I have often slow cooked shoulders or legs of lamb with herbs, wine and onions, but have never thought of adding chestnuts and maple syrup… will be inviting people over to try this asap! thanks x
I am attempting this one today despite never cooking anything apart from a basic spag bol. I hope mine looks and tastes as good as yours. Thank you for the recipe and wish me luck! (I will certainly need it!). All the best.
Prepared this yesterday evening. This was so very welcome after a cold, grey day. Really heartwarming and very very yummy!
Hi Cherry,
I’m part of the BritMums team and am looking forward to seeing you at BritMums Live! this summer. I popped over through the Sainsbury site and saw this post. I adore lamb and love the simplicity of this recipe. You made me drool, pretty much! I also got very nostalgic and whistful over your mention of your family around the table and “Projects with my Dad”. My Dad and Stepmum live in America (I’m American, married to an Englishman) and I miss them terribly. I would love to have “Projects with my Dad” too. 🙂 Thanks for such a wonderful post and a recipe I most definitely will try soon.
Karin @ Cafe Bebe