Roasted Leg of Lamb
There is something about a perfectly cooked roasted leg of lamb, that immediately brings out nostalgic memories of my grandmother's cooking. The heady smell of rosemary and garlic and the succulent spices makes roast lamb an ultimate "pick me up" food for a dreary cold evening. You can use a mixture of various spice and herbs rub for a robust flavor to the meat or you can also opt for spicy marinades. The best thing about making roasted leg of lamb is that the leftovers can be used for making delicious soups and stews and the bones can be used for making stock.
Basic Roast Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
- 1 leg of lamb
- cup oil
- 10 garlic cloves
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 tablespoons freshly ground pepper
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
Preheat the oven to 375 C. In a food processor, process the garlic cloves along with the salt and pepper. Now add in the olive oil and process at low speed until everything is well combined and it has emulsified.
Trim the leg of lamb of any excess fat and sinews and then place the lamb, fat side up in a roasting tin. Pierce the lamb randomly with the sharp point of a knife and rub in the olive oil and garlic mixture over it. Make sure that you push the mixture inside the lamb and add the rosemary sprigs. Roast the lamb leg in the oven for around 2 to 2 hours. When the meat is cooked, transfer it to a platter and keep it warm.
Pour the dry red wine on the roasting tin and place the tin over medium heat. Scrape the bits of browned meat that is stuck on the bottom of the roasting tin. Add the chicken stock and cook until the mixture has reduced to almost half. Just before you serve the lamb, slice the lamb into thick slices and drizzle with the sauce on top.
Roast Leg of Lamb with Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 leg of lamb
- 6 medium-sized potatoes
- 4 carrots
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Preheat the oven to 375 C. Chop the carrots into two inch pieces and boil the carrots in a saucepan for 5 to 7 minutes until it is cooked halfway. Drain the water from the saucepan and pour ice-cold water over the carrots to stop the cooking process and prevent the carrots from going mushy. Meanwhile, chop the potatoes into wedges without peeling them. Toss the carrots and the potatoes with 2 tablespoons of good quality olive oil, pepper and salt. Place the carrots and potatoes in a roasting pan and roast them in the oven for 30 minutes.
Trim the excess fat from the lamb leg and make tiny slits all over it with the tip of a sharp knife. In a small bowl, add two tablespoons of olive oil and mix the minced garlic in it. Use this mixture to marinade the lamb and then sprinkle it with salt, pepper and chopped rosemary. Place the marinated lamb on the same roasting tin as the carrots and potatoes and roast it for 1 hours to 2 hours. When the lamb is done, transfer to a platter and wrap it in an aluminum foil and allow it to stand for 10 minutes. Carve the lamb into thick slices and serve with oven roasted potatoes and carrots and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.
Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
- 1 leg of lamb
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cumin seed
- A thick slice of butter
- 2 tablespoons thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 pinch sweet paprika
In a small bowl, add the garlic cloves along with the salt, cumin, sweet paprika and thyme. Now add the olive oil into this mixture and stir well with a spoon. Melt the butter in a pan and add this to the spice paste.
Rub the spice paste all over the lamb and place in a big casserole. Place the casserole in the oven and roast it for 30 to 40 minutes. Now add 2 cups of water over the lamb and roast it for another 3 hours. Remove lamb from the oven when most of the water has evaporated. Carve the lamb and serve it with mashed potatoes.
It is very important not to overcook lamb as overcooked lamb tastes quite unappetizing. The cooking time for roast leg of lamb is about 1 to 2 hours in a moderately hot oven. You can also try cooking lamb by searing it in a pan for a few minutes before roasting it.
