Home Cured Lamb – With Sundried Tomato, Lime and Mint Salsa.

Seven days before you intend to roast your joint, begin the curing process. Pour 2 liters of water into a large pan, add the table salt and salt petre. Heat the water until all the salts have dissolved. Allow this brine to cool to room temperature. Pour the brine into a large container (a plastic biscuit box with a lid, or use cling film if a lidded box is unavailable). Drop your lamb into the brine, making sure it is fully covered. If it floats, place a cup or similar on top to weigh it down. Cure the lamb for 5 to 6 days; if it's a tight fit, you might want to turn it occasionally.

After 5 to 6 days of curing, and the day before you intend to roast your joint, drain away all the brine and replace with fresh water. Repeat this after a few hours. This is to rinse out the excess salt so the joint isn't too salty when cooked.

Chop or crush 3 cloves of garlic and insert them into the tunnel where the bone used to be. If your joint feels like it might fall apart during roasting, tie it tightly with kitchen string. With a sharp knife, pierce the joint every 5cm (or a couple of inches) and insert a sprig of fresh rosemary into each hole.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Place your cured lamb in the oven. Roast covered for 1 hour and then remove the lid and roast for a further hour.

For the sundried tomato, lime and mint salsa: place about 150g of sundried tomatoes in olive oil in the food processor (don't worry about separating the oil). To this, add the juice of one lime. Blitz until it is reasonably smooth. Tip the tomato and lime mixture into a small pan and add the sugar. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool. Once it is cool, tear a generous handful of mint into pieces and stir into the tomato and lime mixture.