FabFood: French Roast Lamb and Whole Vegetables

Got this recipe from my new French cook book. I'm not sure there is anything particularly French about the recipe, but there are two interesting differences compared to other roast lamb recipes I've tried. First, no oil or butter is used -- the lamb is cooked in in it's own juices. Good for calorie counting I guesss. Second, vegetables are added whole (saves on the prep-time!) and cooked in the lamb juices. Results turned out pretty tres bien as you can see below.

Ingredients (serves 4)

4lb leg of lamb
6 whole carrots
3 whole leeks
1/2 lb potatoes (sliced in half)
3 small courgettes (zuchinni)
Fresh rosemary
6 cloves garlic (whole, unpealed)
Salt and pepper
Optional for gravy: red-wine, flour, chicken stock

Instructions:
1. Wash and clean the veg and lamb.

2. Heat oven to 400F. Put lamb in roasting dish with rosemary and garlic. Season well with salt and pepper.

3. Put lamb in oven for 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add salt, then boil the potatoes for 5 minutes.

5. Add the potatoes to the lamb. Reduce heat to 350 F and cook for another 30 minutes.

6. Add the rest of the veg to the lamb, mix well to coat in the lamb's juices.

7. Cook until lamb is done - for medium, about 15 mins per pound. But better to invest in a meat thermometer for best results.

8. Remove lamb from the pan to rest for 10 mins. Keep vegetables warm. Make a gravy if you want. Add a dash of red-wine to the roasting tin and stir-well, then add a little-flour to thicken. Add chicken stock and heat for 5 mins until ready to serve.