Tips in case anyone fancies making one - we have a roast every Sunday - always in the evening at about 7pm. Today, Easter Sunday we are having lamb. Just a half leg as there are only 4 of us.
At 5pm, I'll put the oven on and peel the potatoes, enough to make 3 pieces each. While they are boiling I put a glug of rapeseed oil in a small baking tray and pop into the oven.
As spuds boil I put the lamb into a small roasting tray and shove a few slices of garlic and rosemary sprigs into little slits. And bung a quartered small onion in with it.
Once potatoes have been bubbling for 2 minutes I strain the water into another saucepan - give the potatoes a juggle round the dry pan to fluff the edges and tip them into the sizzling oil - turning to makensure every bit is covered in oil.
Lamb and potatoes go into the oven together for about 90 minutes.
Bring the spud water back to the boil and pop in a sliced sweetheart cabbage and boil until cooked. Strain, reserving the water. Pop cabbage in one side of a serving dish.
While cabbage boils slice two leeks and wash well in cold water making sure there is no grit. Pop leeks into the reserved cabbage water.
In the second pan you have been using melt a slice of butter, about 1/4 inch and add a tablespoon of flour and stir in well. Add about 1/2 pint of milk, teaspoon of chopped lazy garlic and gently simmer, and season. Pour sauce into a serving dish and rinse pan at sink. Strain leek into pan, reserving the water. Add leeks to sauce and set aside.
Bung sugar snaps in reserved water and boil. Strain, again reserving the water. Add snaps to serving dish with cabbage.
Put anybdirtie in dishwasher. Get out carving tray, meat platter, and 4 plates.
(You will only have used two saucepans and the reserved water for the gravy is now full of goodness from the veg)
Set table (don't forget the mint sauce) and have a sit down with a glass of wine for 45 minutes.
At 6.45 tootle back into kitchen and take out meat. Leave spuds in but turn them and turn down the oven and put in plates, and meat platter.
Drain fat from roasting tin leaving just a bit and the meaty juices and the roasted onion - pop on the gas and add a desert spoon of flour. Call husband to carve. Add reserved juices to roasting tin, stirring all the time. Depending on flavour add a lamb stockpot and of course a glug of wine. Pour hot water into gravy boat. Pop 1st bowl of veg in microwave on high for 2 mins.
DH carries through meat platter and plates. Gravy simmers gently.
Veg goes through and leeks go in microwave. Strain gravy into jug squishing the juicy goodness out of the onion. Pour into gravy boat and take gravy and leeks through. Quickly tip spudsbinto warm dish and take through.
DH pours wine, everyone tucks in, kitchen is spotless at this stage.
Grown up children load dishwasher. Wipe down table mats and table. Drink more wine.
The caveat of course is that I enjoy it and find the sauce and gravy making quite soothing.