Roast Leg of Lamb with Toast and Mushy Peas

I love having a diverse repertoire of Sunday lunches- it makes me feel that bit more British. But don't worry, this isn't an attempt to be achingly patriotic (i.e, I haven't tried combining a roast dinner with the shamefully delicious snot that accompanies fish and chips) it's just a lovely alternative to the slightly laborious original. Having said that, all that is diverse here is the accompaniments, I haven't fiddled with a roast leg of lamb because, trust me, it doesn't need it.

If you wanted to you could make this sound fancy and call the sides croutons and pea puree, but George Orwell once said to never use a long word when a short one will do so I found these nursery names suggested by my Grandmother charming. 

1)In a large roasting tin, place a leg of lamb over 6 bruised garlic cloves and a few sprigs of rosemary, and then adorn the top with the same. Juice a lemon over it and throw in the husk with it, and drizzle everything with 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and 4 of red vermouth or port. Place in a 200 degree oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 170 and cook for another 45 minutes to an hour until only a dribble of pink remains when the thickest area of the joint is pierced with a knife.

2)Leave it to rest wrapped in foil whilst you prepare the sides. 

3)For the cubes of toast you really need good bread. To do this I usually make a loaf on the quickest cycle on my bread machine, but you could buy one or make it the night before. I'd suggest white because you can't get wholemeal roast potatoes. 

4)Cube them into inch squared dice, drizzle with garlic-infused olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper then roast in the 200 degree oven which doesn't need to be preheated as it should be still hot from the lamb. They need about 15 minutes until crisp and golden. 

5)For the mushy peas, boil 500g frozen peas until just tender in boiling water infused with two bay leaves and a peeled clove of garlic. Drain the peas but keep the water as it's useful to thin the puree until it's your desired consistency. Fish out the leaves but keep the garlic, then blend with 3 tbsp (or as much as the consistency of your desire) creme fraiche or mascarpone or even cottage cheese, a pinch or more of white pepper, some freshly grated nutmeg, a good pinch dried mint, salt, freshly grated parmesan (a fair amount I'd say about 3 tbsp but don't bother to measure) and some chopped fresh mint or parsley or both. When smooth, set into a nice serving plate.

6)To make a quick, flour-free gravy, de-glaze the lamb's roasting tin with 100ml red vermouth, a knob of butter, some finely chopped rosemary, a beef or lamb stock cube, salt and pepper and more boiling water until you have more gravy than you need. Boil until reduced to a more syrupy thickness. 

7)Serve bejewelled with redcurrant jelly. Lots of it.