Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 7 hrs
Marinate: 2 hrs
Total: 9 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
This delicious and tender roast leg of lamb recipe is perfect when you want to spend a drizzly day inside cooking. It takes seven hours to cook, but it’s mainly unattended—pop the lamb in the oven and check on it occasionally as the savory aromas fill your kitchen. This elegant, yet homey dish is as pleasant to cook as it is to serve.
Packed full of vegetables, and seasoned with herbs and wine, this leg of lamb is roasted until it’s falling-apart tender. Braised slowly in the oven, it’s a meal all on its own but is even more substantial when served with mashed potatoes. Use the extra pan sauce for drizzling over.
Ingredients
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1 (6-pound) bone-in leg of lamb
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10 cloves garlic
For the Marinade:
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1 tablespoon fine sea salt
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1 tablespoon crushed fresh rosemary
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2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
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1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
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1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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4 1/2 cups dry white wine
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1 cup water
For the Vegetables:
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4 medium leeks, coarsely chopped
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1 small celery root, peeled and cut into large chunks
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5 large carrots, cut into large chunks
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4 medium turnips, quartered
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4 medium onions, quartered
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6 cloves garlic
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2 teaspoons fine sea salt
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3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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With a sharp knife, poke 1/2-inch-deep holes scattered evenly over the surface of the leg of lamb. Insert the garlic clove sticks into the holes.
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Mix the olive oil, sea salt, rosemary, thyme, sage, and black pepper together for the marinade.
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Rub the surface of the meat with the herb paste and place the leg of lamb into a large Dutch oven. Carefully pour the white wine into the side of the pan, avoiding pouring it over the meat itself, to keep the herb marinade in place. Cover and refrigerate the leg of lamb for 2 hours, turning once every 30 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 275 F. Add the water to the lamb and marinade. Place the Dutch oven into the oven and cook the lamb, covered, for 3 hours, occasionally basting with pan juices.
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Sprinkle the leeks, celery root, carrots, turnips, onions, and garlic with salt and pepper. Uncover the pan and place the vegetables around the sides of the lamb.
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Continue roasting the leg of lamb and vegetables, uncovered, for 4 hours, basting occasionally, until the meat easily falls off the bone.
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Remove the roast leg of lamb and vegetables to a serving platter and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
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While the roast lamb is resting, reduce the pan juices by simmering for a few minutes on the stovetop if they need thickening. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
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Serve the lamb meat, sliced or shredded, with the vegetables and warm pan juices.
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Enjoy.
Tips
- Although the meat should just fall off of the bone, if you prefer to slice it, start from the thick end of the leg and move down toward the shank.
- This recipe cooks the lamb to medium-well (140 F to 145 F), but if you prefer your lamb less cooked, remove from the oven at 120 F to 125 F for medium-rare and 130 F to 135 F for medium. Keep in mind that the temperature will continue to rise as the meat rests.
- Keep the lamb bone to flavor soups; wrap well and place in the freezer for the next time you are making a soup that will benefit from the rich taste.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 6 to 8 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 1098 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 60g | 77% |
| Saturated Fat 24g | 120% |
| Cholesterol 316mg | 105% |
| Sodium 1602mg | 70% |
| Total Carbohydrate 23g | 8% |
| Dietary Fiber 4g | 14% |
| Total Sugars 8g | |
| Protein 89g | |
| Vitamin C 16mg | 82% |
| Calcium 132mg | 10% |
| Iron 9mg | 48% |
| Potassium 1541mg | 33% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
