Ingredients (serves 6):

1 large leg of lamb* (about 3 kg)

45 ml olive oil

salt & pepper

3 sprigs rosemary, woody stems removed, chopped

2 whole heads of garlic, horizontally sliced in half

3/4 cup (180 ml) balsamic vinegar

1 cup (250 ml) port wine

1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine

about 8 large ripe black figs, some halved, some whole

*Note: Ask your butcher to bend the long end of the leg bone by cutting almost through it but not all the way. This way it will fit snugly into a large roasting tray without hanging over the side.

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 160 C.
• Place the leg of lamb inside a large deep roasting tray, fatty side down. Drizzle it all over with oil and season it generously with salt, pepper, and chopped rosemary on both sides.
• Arrange the garlic head halves around it, then pour the vinegar, port and white wine into the bottom. Cover with a lid or foil, then roast for 3 hours. Remove from the oven, then use tongs to turn the leg over with the fatty side to the top. Cover and roast for another 2 hours.
• Remove the tray from the oven and turn the heat up to 200 C. Return the leg to the oven for 20 minutes, then add the figs around the meat and roast for another 10 minutes - the figs should be just warm and soft, not falling apart.
• Serve warm in the tray as a festive centrepiece, with a side of rice or potatoes or roast vegetables and salad.

Note: This roast makes a hearty yet thin sauce - remove some of the fat from the top by skimming it off with a spoon at the end of the cooking process. If you prefer a thicker gravy, pour the skimmed sauce into a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and thicken slightly by reducing it by 1/4 or by adding 2-3 teaspoons of corn flour (mix it to a slurry consistency with a few teaspoons of water before adding it). Stir well until thickened.