Roasted Leg of Lamb
Description
If you were intimidated by the daunting task of roasting a whole lamb over an open fire, fear not: roasting a leg of lamb in the oven is a fairly easy and scrumptious dish that is perfect for any holiday or regular meal. Lamb meat does not require much time, effort, extra ingredients, or marinades because the meat is already so tender and flavorful on its own. All it needs is a bit of seasoning to enhance the flavor, and maybe a touch of rosemary, garlic, sage, or mint.
Ingredient
- 1 whole leg of lamb (about 5 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon Mediterranean coarse salt
- 1 tablespoon mixed herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage)
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
Instructions
- 1 Dry the leg well with paper towels.
- 2
Mix the oil, butter, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper together and brush them all over the entire surface of the leg of lamb. Brush the baking pan with this mixture, as well.- 3
Place the leg on its side in the pan. Place the pan in a 450°F oven for about 15 minutes, or until the outside of the leg has browned. Roasting it first at a high heat will ensure that all of the juices stay inside the meat and that your finished leg of lamb is perfectly succulent, rather than dry.- 4
Lower the temperature to 350°F and continue to roast the leg for another 1½–2 hours, depending on how large the leg is. At this point, you can score the lamb with shallow cuts across the top if you would like, but this step is not necessary, so feel free to skip it—no matter what, your leg of lamb will come out of the oven tasting delicious!- 5
Once the lamb is finished roasting, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve hot with your favorite side dishes. - 2
