Roast Leg Of Lamb Recipe
A generous portion of slow roasted leg of lamb served in its own sauce.
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Ingredients
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Roast Leg of Lamb
Finishing & Serving
Method
Roast Leg of Lamb
- 1
Prepare the oven and rack
Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Position a rack in the lower-middle of the oven so the lamb will roast gently and evenly.
- 2
Trim and pat dry
Trim any excessive surface fat from the leg, leaving a thin layer for flavor. Pat the lamb thoroughly dry with paper towels to ensure the rub adheres and the exterior browns.
- 3
Make herb-garlic rub
In a small bowl combine olive oil, minced garlic, chopped rosemary, thyme leaves, and lemon zest. Add 1½ tsp sea salt and ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper and mix to form a paste.
- 4
- 5
Initial roasting
Roast the lamb uncovered at 160°C (320°F) for 1 hour to develop color and begin tenderizing. There is no need to baste during this period.
- 6
Add liquids and aromatics
After 1 hour, carefully remove the pan. Pour 250 ml red wine into the pan to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Stir tomato paste into the wine and add 500 ml beef or lamb stock and 200 ml water. Tuck bay leaves among the vegetables and meat.
- 7
Slow roast until tender
Return the pan uncovered to the oven and continue roasting at 160°C (320°F) for an additional 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours (total roast time about 2¾–3 hours), or until the internal temperature at the thickest part reaches 60°C (140°F) for medium-rare to 70°C (158°F) for medium-well. For very tender fall-apart lamb, roast to 75–80°C (167–176°F). Baste once midway through this period with pan juices.
- 8
Rest the lamb
Remove the lamb from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Tent loosely with foil and rest 20–25 minutes so juices redistribute; internal temperature will rise a few degrees during resting.
Sauce & Finish
- 9
Strain pan juices
While the lamb rests, strain the roasting pan juices through a fine sieve into a saucepan, pressing on the solids to extract flavorful liquid. Discard solids and return liquid to the pan.
- 10
Reduce and season
Place the saucepan over medium heat and simmer until reduced by about one-third and slightly thickened, about 8–12 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. If the sauce is too sharp from wine, add a small knob (½ tsp) sugar or a splash of stock to balance.
- 11
Finish with parsley
Stir chopped fresh parsley into the warm sauce to brighten flavor. Remove bay leaves before serving.
- 12
