Roast leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary

Roast leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary
Prepare
less than 30 mins
Cook
1 to 2 hours
Serve
Serves 8

Put on your Sunday best for our perfect roast leg of lamb served with a classic red wine gravy. The cooking method is very easy going and prevents the meat drying out even if you like yours well done.

Each serving provides 400 kcal, 46g protein, 2g carbohydrates (of which 0g sugars), 22g fat (of which 10.5g saturates), 0g fibre and 0.6g salt.

By Mike Robinson

Shopping list

Ingredients

For the lamb

For the garlic and rosemary butter

  • 3 large garlic cloves, grated
  • 25g/1oz butter, softened
  • 4–5 stalks fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped, plus extra to garnish
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the gravy

Recipe tips
How-to videos

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Remove the lamb from the fridge and allow it to get to room temperature.

  2. To make the garlic butter, place the garlic and butter in a bowl. Add the rosemary to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mash to a paste with a fork.

  3. With a sharp thin knife or a metal skewer, make between 30 and 50 small incisions into the flesh of the lamb. They should be large enough for you to stick just your fingertip into. Work the butter mixture into the lamb by massaging it into the meat, trying to work it into the holes that you've created.

  4. Place the lamb in a roasting tin, cover loosely with foil and place in the preheated oven. As it heats up, the butter will melt and help the rosemary and garlic to work their way into the holes and really penetrate the lamb. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and leave to roast for a further 50–60 minutes for medium or until cooked to your liking. Remove the lamb from the oven and leave to rest for 10–15 minutes, with some foil on top to keep it warm.

  5. To make the gravy, heat a heavy-based frying pan on the hob. When hot, pour the pan juices from the roasting tin into the pan (be careful as it may splatter). Add the red wine. Turn the heat down and leave the sauce to reduce.

  6. To thicken the sauce, make a beurre manie by mixing together the flour and butter in a clean bowl to make a paste. Add about a teaspoon of the beurre manie to the pan and whisk well, until the sauce has the desired consistency. Add more if needed.

  7. To serve, slice the lamb, pour over the gravy and garnish with rosemary. This would be good with potatoes dauphinoise and fresh vegetables for a Sunday lunch.

Recipe tips

A standard leg of lamb is about 2kg/4lb 8oz, which is why we've specified that in our recipe, but you don't need to be super precise about the weight of the lamb, so don't worry if yours is a bit larger or smaller.

When resting a big joint of lamb it will stay warm for up to an hour, especially if you cover it with foil and tea towels. This is particularly useful if you need the oven space for other things or get a bit flustered juggling all the different bits of a roast dinner.

Got leftovers to use up? Take a look at our leftover roast lamb collection and don't forget that roast lamb can be frozen for later use (eat cold after thawing or reheat covered until piping hot).

Should I cover my leg of lamb while roasting?

It's not essential, but it helps prevent the meat drying out during the longer cooking times needed for large joints.

How long to cook a leg of lamb?

For a standard leg of lamb (about 2kg/4lb 8oz) you will need about 1½ hours at 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. If you are using a half leg of lamb, which is typically about 1kg/2lb 4oz, reduce the cooking time to 1 hour in total (20 minutes covered and 40 minutes uncovered). If you have a meat thermometer, insert it into thickest part of meat avoiding the bone. You are looking for an internal temperature of 55–58C for rare, 60–65C for medium or over 70C for well done.

What to serve with a leg of lamb?

Roast potatoes are always a winner, but for something different try dauphinoise potatoes, crispy smashed new potatoes, Greek potatoes or Lyonnaise potatoes. Alternatively, give regular roast spuds an upgrade with garlic, Parmesan and herb roast potatoes.

When it comes to veg, peas and greens are an obvious choice, especially in springtime, but if you are feeling more adventurous try this asparagus, lettuce, peas and mint for a seasonal side. Honey roasted carrots always go down well, but you can keep things simple with steamed carrots or go for something special with braised carrots with a hazelnut crumb.

Don't forget the mint sauce!