The red wine and salt permeate the lamb as it cooks, leaving you with tender, scented meat and a vegetable broth. This timing should give it a pink but not rare middle. Serve with the vegetables and a big platter of rustic greens dressed with anchovies.

Ingredients
Feeds 6. Takes 2 hours plus marinating.

1 leg of lamb (around 2.5kg)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1tbsp Dijon mustard
1tbsp thyme sprigs
1tsp sea salt
3tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled
2 carrots, peeled
2 celery stalks
extra 2tbsp thyme sprigs

For the crust

800g plain flour
1tbsp salt
500ml red wine
1 egg yolk, beaten

Trim the lamb of excess fat. Mix the garlic, mustard, thyme sprigs, sea salt and olive oil together and rub well into the lamb. Leave, covered, for a few hours or overnight.

Heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5. Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery. Scatter the vegetables on the base of an oiled roasting pan that will fit the lamb snugly (eg 30cm x 28cm) and arrange the lamb on top.

Place the flour in a large bowl and add the red wine slowly, mixing it into a dough with a wooden tablespoon. Knead quite strongly for a couple of minutes until it is fairly stiff, then roll out to about 1cm (half inch) thick.

Cover the lamb and vegetables with the dough, pressing it around the edges of the pan to seal it. Brush the dough with beaten egg yolk, and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Remove the lamb from the oven and allow it to rest for ten minutes while you warm the plates.

To serve, first show the spectacular golden crust to the assembled crowd, then return it to the kitchen. Cut open the crust and remove the lamb (don’t serve the crust).

Pour the cooking juices and the vegetables into a bowl, skimming off any fat.

Carve the lamb into 1cm (half inch) slices, and arrange on warm plates. Using a slotted spoon, strew the vegetables and fresh thyme over the lamb, then spoon a little broth over the top and serve.

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