Ingredients - serves 6

1.7kg leg of lamb, shank on
1 onion, washed
1 leek, trimmed
1 carrot, peeled
good sprig thyme
3 bay leaves
3 stems parsley
1 tsp whole peppercorns

caper sauce:
40g butter
small onion, chopped
40g plain flour
350ml good lamb or chicken stock
1-2 tbsp vinegar from the capers
salt and pepper,
1 dessert spoon Dijon mustard
1 dessert spoon redcurrant jelly
75ml double cream
1 tbsp capers
1 tbsp chopped parsley

Method

First make the caper sauce. Fry butter and onion gently to translucent, add flour and cook to foaming then whisk in stock until smooth. Add vinegar, seasoning, mustard, jelly and simmer for 10 minutes. Sieve. Whisk in cream and add capers and parsley, cool and place in a container, refrigerate until required.

Tie the herbs together in a bundle. Wash the onion and (unless very grubby) leave the skin on as it lends colour to the stock. Place the lamb in a large pan together with the onion, trimmed leek, carrot, peppercorns and herb bundle. Cover with water and bring to the boil slowly. After a few minutes at a simmer some scum and fat will result on the surface, spoon this off and add more water to cover if necessary, return to a simmer.

Cook like this for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, turning the leg occasionally and replacing evaporated liquid. For the final 1/2 hour you may like to remove the stock vegetables and poach some vegetables (like carrots, leeks, whole shallots) to accompany the lamb. Lift the lamb to a warm plate to carve. Strain the stock and add some to the caper sauce if you would prefer it thinned, and reheat gently. Save the remaining stock for soup or casserole making. Serve slices of poached lamb and vegetables with crushed potatoes and caper sauce.