Roasted Leg of Lamb

Leg of lamb roast is serrated and slow-roasted to capture and disseminate the herb seasonings throughout the meat . Roast by Jared Arave. Photo by Arlie Sommer

A hearty lamb leg roast can be a fabulous centerpiece for holiday meals, or cozy company to roasted winter root vegetables, potatoes, carrots, turnips and onions. Use the juices that result from roasting the meat to flavor the vegetables.

The recipe below is traditional. Try different warming spices like ginger, cardamom, cumin, coriander, black pepper, turmeric, and saffron to mix it up and further fortify you against the cold!

INGREDIENTS

4-5 lb leg of lamb roast

5-6 garlic cloves minced

3 T olive oil

1/2 t salt

1/4 t fresh ground pepper

2 oz fresh rosemary or

2 T of dried crushed rosemary

Notes: Any of the aromatic herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, mint or marjoram, or a mixture of several herbs, can be used to vary the flavor.

DIRECTIONS

Step 1

Remove lamb from the package, lay on a raised rack, removing the meat from its juices. Refrigerate for one or two days, depending on the size of the cut of meat, to dry-age the meat.

Step 2

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, minced garlic, crushed rosemary, salt and pepper. Spoon and rub the mixture over the meat.

Step 3

Place the meat on a rack in a shallow roasting pan in an oven preheated to 425 degrees. Roast for 15 minutes.

Step 4

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Remove lamb roast from oven and make shallow diagonal cuts to create a pattern of squares or diamonds as shown in the picture above. Brush with the olive oil, garlic and herb mixture a couple of times during the roasting.

Step 5

Place the lamb roast back in the oven and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees (for medium rare). A general guideline for roasting time is 10-11 minutes per pound for medium rare.

Step 6

Transfer to a hot plate and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Remove roast from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.