Herb Crusted Rosemary Lamb

Photo Credit: @MapulasTable

Lamb, served with mint sauce, roast potatoes and brussels sprouts was our best Sunday dinner. No matter how large the leg was there was never any left over.

INGREDIENTS

1 (6-7 pound) leg of lamb, bone in 6 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ½ cup dry red wine or beef stock

DIRECTIONS

Rub lamb with juice of one lemon and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Rinse in cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Make deep slits all over lamb with small sharp knife.

Add garlic cloves and salt to a mortar and pestle and grind to a smooth paste. Add chopped rosemary, olive oil and pepper. Place lamb on an oiled roasting pan and rub the paste into the slits and all over the lamb. Leave at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

Set oven temperature at 425°F

Place lamb on center rack in the middle of the oven and roast for 20 minutes to seal flavors then reduce oven to 350°F and cook for a further 1 ½ hours at which time if you insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat it should register 145°F for medium rare, 160°F for medium and 170°F for well done.

Transfer meat to cutting board and allow to stand for 25 minutes. Meantime, prepare pan gravy by removing roasting pan to cook top and adding wine to pan. Boil over moderate heat to deglaze. Stir and scrape up brown bits which flavors the gravy. Season with salt and pepper.

Whenever we have a family celebration, this lamb is always a must and we always have a jar of mint jelly on hand to compliment the flavor of the lamb.

Bon appetit!

Photo Credit: Mapula Kitchen

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