Name: Bone-in Leg of Lamb
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 125 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: For the Lamb Roast; 1 bone-in lamb roast (7 to 8 pounds); 6 garlic cloves, minced; 2 anchovy filets packed in oil and drained, then smashed (I use a mortar and pestle to do this); 2 tablespoons Dijon or country-style mustard; ⅓ cup chopped Italian parsley; ¼ cup chopped fresh rosemary; Freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened; 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, as needed; 1 lemon, cut in half; 2 to 3 garlic heads, cut in half to expose the garlic cloves; 1½ cups white wine plus more as needed (Use a moderately priced white wine such as a chardonnay, viognier or chablis.); Additional sprigs of fresh rosemary; 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 to 2½ cups beef broth, as needed; Salt and pepper to taste (Note: the gravy will have a lot of seasoning from the pan drippings so make sure to taste the sauce before adding additional salt and pepper)

Mains

Bone-in Leg of Lamb

Author: Mary DiSomma

I’ve always had a little anxiety about roasts. My mom didn’t make a lot of roasts while I was growing up, so that was one thing that I had to branch out and learn on my own. I’m always pleasantly surprised at how simple they are to prepare. A bone-in leg of lamb is pleasantly easy to prepare: You basically just make your rub, season the roast, and pop it in the oven.

This herbaceous and garlicky lamb roast recipe really is a show-stopper though: When I took it out of the oven, my guests were basically drooling! Seasoned with anchovy filets and paired with its own rich gravy, this was an absolutely beautiful meal. I love sharing something fancy with my guests. Another bonus of making roasts is the leftovers! Leftover lamb with some potatoes and a side salad makes a lovely lunch the next day!

Ingredient Tips

You can prepare—but not roast—a leg of lamb about 4 to 5 hours ahead and keep it in the refrigerator, wrapped loosely in plastic wrap. Remember to remove the lamb from the refrigerator about 45 minutes before you want to start cooking it. A cold roast will not cook evenly. Personally, I prefer to prepare my roast right before cooking it. You don’t save that much time or effort by doing it a few hours ahead.

Preparation + Preservation Tips

Use a Meat Thermometer

A meat thermometer is a necessity when you prepare any type of roasted meat or poultry. You simply cannot guess what the internal temperature of your roast is. I suggest getting a digital instant read thermometer. Meat thermometers are available for any kind of budget, so there’s no excuse to skip this step!

Use a Roasting Pan that comes with a Rack

I recommend using a roasting pan that comes with a rack so you can easily elevate whatever meat you are roasting. This keeps the pan juices in the pan so you can easily remove the meat and place the pan directly over heat to make a delicious pan sauce out of the drippings.

Know your temperatures for meat doneness!

Remember that a roast always needs to rest for about 15 minutes before carving. That’s because you want the juices to stay in the roast, not leak all over your serving platter or carving board. A roast will continue to cook another 5 degrees as it rests so place it somewhere accordingly when removing the roast from the oven.

Keep an eye on it.

You do have to keep your eye on your roast so it doesn’t overcook. Also, make sure there is enough liquid for basting and gravy. Follow the instructions carefully and use your meat thermometer and you should be good to go!

Extra Tips

Classic Easter Recipes You Won’t Want to Miss➝

Mary’s Classic Shepherd’s Pie with Ground Lamb➝

Easy Shepherd’s Pie Twice-Baked Potato➝

Hard Cider Pork Roast with Pink Lady Apples➝

Mary’s Limoncello Roast Chicken Recipe with Fennel➝

Herb Roasted Turkey➝