Roast Leg Of Lamb With Spring Vegetables And Lemon Cream Sauce - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 1/2 lbs leg of lamb, on the bone
4 cups buttermilk
6 small heads garlic, peeled and halved
1 bunch rosemary
1 bunch thyme
2 lbs small potatoes, halved
1 bunch small carrots, leaves trimmed off, peeled
2 lbs fresh asparagus, woody ends trimmed
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 None lemon, zest finely grated
1/2 cup heavy cream

Preparation

Put the lamb in a large dish and pour the buttermilk all over meat. Cover and chill overnight, turning the meat a few times.
Preheat the oven to 325\u00b0F. Put the garlic and half the herbs in a large roasting pan. Take the meat out of the buttermilk, shaking off the excess, and put it in the pan on the bed of herbs. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 1/2 hours. Pour 1 cup water into the pan after 45 mins.
For the spring vegetables, bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the potatoes, then the carrots and asparagus, bring back to a boil and cook 5 mins. Drain and cool. About 40 mins from the end of the lamb's cooking time, add the vegetables to one side of the meat in the pan and season them. Return pan to the oven to roast until tender.
To make the sauce, chop the remaining herbs and set some aside for garnish. Put the rest of the herbs in a pan with the butter, lemon zest and seasoning. Melt over a low heat and stir in the cream. Puree with a stick blender to make a smooth sauce. Check the seasoning. Arrange lamb and vegetables on a large platter, sprinkle with herbs and serve with the creamy lemon sauce.