Sunday Roast Lamb
A leg or shoulder of lamb slow-roasted, golden and fragrant with rosemary, served with the traditional vinegary mint sauce, roast potatoes, and garden vegetables. The meal that brings the Australian family together on Sunday.
A leg or shoulder of lamb slow-roasted, golden and fragrant with rosemary, served with the traditional vinegary mint sauce, roast potatoes, and garden vegetables. The meal that brings the Australian family together on Sunday.
Sunday was sacred in our house: Mass first, then the big roast. Mum would put the lamb in the oven before we left, and the whole house smelled wonderful when we came back. I’d chop mint from the garden with a little vinegar and sugar — that sharp little sauce, it wakes up the meat. We’d say grace, and we’d share. That’s where I learned that the table, like the court, deserves respect: you come to it with a grateful heart.
- •Leg or shoulder of lamb — a nice piece for the table (centerpiece)
- •Rosemary — a few sprigs (aromatic)
- •Garlic — a few cloves (flavor)
- •Fresh mint — a generous handful (mint sauce)
- •Vinegar — a little (mint sauce)
- •Sugar — one spoonful (balance the sauce)
- •Potatoes — as many as you like (roasted side)
Sunday Roast Lamb
A leg or shoulder of lamb slow-roasted, golden and fragrant with rosemary, served with the traditional vinegary mint sauce, roast potatoes, and garden vegetables. The meal that brings the Australian family together on Sunday.
Why this dish? Margaret Court, a devout believer all her life (she later became a pastor), grew up in a Catholic family in Albury. The Sunday roast lamb — prepared after Mass and shared with the family — is an immutable Australian institution, the warm heart of the week for a bush girl.
Sunday was sacred in our house: Mass first, then the big roast. Mum would put the lamb in the oven before we left, and the whole house smelled wonderful when we came back. I’d chop mint from the garden with a little vinegar and sugar — that sharp little sauce, it wakes up the meat. We’d say grace, and we’d share. That’s where I learned that the table, like the court, deserves respect: you come to it with a grateful heart.
Ingredients (period version)
- Leg or shoulder of lamb — a nice piece for the table (centerpiece)
- Rosemary — a few sprigs (aromatic)
- Garlic — a few cloves (flavor)
- Fresh mint — a generous handful (mint sauce)
- Vinegar — a little (mint sauce)
- Sugar — one spoonful (balance the sauce)
- Potatoes — as many as you like (roasted side)
Ingredients
- Leg of lamb — 1.5 to 2 kg (centerpiece)
- Fresh rosemary — 4 sprigs (aromatic)
- Garlic — 4 cloves (flavor (insert into meat))
- Olive oil — 3 tbsp (cooking)
- Fresh mint — 1 bunch (mint sauce)
- White wine vinegar — 3 tbsp (mint sauce)
- Sugar — 1 tsp (balance the sauce)
- Potatoes — 1 kg (roasted side)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
- Score the lamb leg and insert slivers of garlic and rosemary sprigs. Rub with oil, season with salt and pepper.
- Sear the leg at 200 °C for 20 minutes, then lower to 160 °C and cook for about 1 hour for pink meat (longer for well done).
- Add quartered potatoes around the meat halfway through so they brown in the juices.
- Prepare the mint sauce: finely chop the mint, cover with warm vinegar mixed with sugar, let steep for 15 minutes.
- Rest the meat for 15 minutes under foil before carving. Serve with the mint sauce and potatoes.
How it was made : The Sunday roast is a British heritage deeply rooted in Australia, where lamb replaced beef as the preferred meat thanks to the vast sheep farming industry. The vinegary mint sauce, sweet-and-sour, is the classic and indispensable accompaniment to mutton across the English-speaking world.
The contemporary twist : Serve the lamb pulled in small rolls with mint sauce, a contemporary ‘roast lamb roll’ style from Australian markets.
Margaret Court · Charactorium