Leg of Lamb

Sunday lunch doesn't get better than serving up a beautiful leg of roast lamb and sharing it with your family and friends. This Roast Lamb recipe is simple to make and is packed with traditional flavors that will leave you wanting seconds.

How to cook a leg of lamb

Traditionally a leg of lamb is roasted, seasoned with oil, and herbs then placed in your oven until cooked. When roasting a leg of lamb, don't be tempted to remove any of the excess fat. The fat surrounding the leg adds so much flavor and also helps keep the meat tender. The fat will meltdown when the lamb is being roasted, which you can drain away after the lamb is cooked. You can also make homemade gravy from the roasted leftover meat juices for extra posh-tasting gravy.

Before the cooking process, always ensure your leg of lamb is at room temperature before roasting, this ensures the lamb cooks evenly. Another important thing to do is to baste the lamb with its juices a couple of times during the roasting process; this helps keep the meat succulent and tender and boosts the flavors from the seasonings.

Lastly, if not the most important always leave the roasted lamb to rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes. When you take the lamb out of the oven wrap the roasting dish in kitchen foil to stop it from getting cold. Resting the meat gives the juices time to redistribute throughout the meat. If you cut too soon, those juices will end up on your chopping board and you'll end up with drier meat with less flavor (please don't skip this step).

Quote:

"April hath put a spirit of youth in everything." William Shakespeare

How long to cook a leg of lamb?

You may be asking yourself, what is the cooking time for a leg of lamb? Every leg weighs a different amount so it will need a different cooking time. Before you start cooking first weigh your leg of lamb; this will determine how long to roast for. For well-done lamb cook for 20 minutes per 500g of lamb; for pink lamb roast for 15 minutes per 500g. After seasoning your lamb with your favorite herbs and spices, place it into the center of your preheated oven at 200°C and roast for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes reduce the heat of your oven to 180°C and continue to roast. Once cooked remove the meat from the oven and cover the roasting dish with kitchen foil and leave to rest for about 20 minutes. After the meat has rested, place the lamb onto a serving plate and carve it into thin slices and enjoy.

What sauce is served with roast lamb?

Mint sauce is one of the most common sauces to be served with a roast lamb; its famous bitter yet sweet sauce seems to compliment the taste of the lamb perfectly. Mint sauce has been paired with lamb or mutton since the 16th century and has remained a favorite since then.

How many calories are in a serving of roast lamb?

For a serving of roast lamb, which is about 100 grams or (3.5 ounces), there are around 250 calories. The cut of meat that you get from a leg of lamb is one of the leanest choices you can make. One of the advantages to roasting leg of lamb is that it tends to have less marbling than beef, so you trim the fat around the edges after roasting, meaning you'll end up with much leaner meat and save yourself precious calories.

How to make Roast Lamb

1. First, preheat your oven to 200°C; grab yourself a large roasting dish and chopping board, and set it to one side. Get your leg of lamb and place it onto a chopping board, then drizzle olive oil over the lamb.

2. Season the lamb leg with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Then massage the seasoning and the oil over the leg of lamb making sure the whole leg is covered.

3. Next, add the zest of one lemon and 1 finely chopped clove of garlic and sprinkle over the lamb.

4. With a sharp knife make a few small slits over the lamb, then add sprigs of rosemary into each slit.

5. Add your prepared leg of lamb to a roasting dish. Lastly, add in 2 chopped onions, chunky cut carrots, 4 whole cloves of garlic, and the lemon that you took the zest from cut into quarters into the roasting dish with the lamb. Place your seasoned lamb into the center of your preheated oven and roast it for 20 minutes.

6. After 20 minutes reduce the heat of your oven to 180°C and continue to roast, for well-done lamb cook for 20 minutes per 500g of lamb. For a pink lamb roast it for 15 minutes per 500g. Make sure to baste the lamb with its juices a couple of times during the roasting process.

7. Once cooked remove the meat from the oven and cover roasting dish with kitchen foil and leave the lamb to rest for about 20 minutes.

8. After 20 minutes of resting, take out the lamb, place it onto a serving plate and carve it into thin slices and enjoy your Sunday roast.

This roast leg of lamb is perfect to eat over the Easter weekend, if you're looking for more Easter recipe ideas check out some of Love Food Feeds most popular Easter dessert recipes such as our Mini egg brownies or Easter coffee cupcakes topped with coffee buttercream and Galaxy golden eggs, both would be perfect to serve after your roast lunch.

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