Roasted Leg of Lamb with Lemon Vinaigrette
I am a fan of lamb. There, I said it and it feels great. I enjoy it grilled, seared, and roasted. I enjoy it in the spring, summer, autumn, and winter. But I enjoy it most during the holidays, at a table of close friends and/or family. I also love my lamb medium-rare to rare, that is my preference. Yet since I know that is not everyone’s preference, when I cook a large cut like a leg of lamb or a roast, I cook it to rare, then portion off the servings of those who prefer if past medium rare, wrap those portions and toss them back in the warm oven. It does not take more then a few minutes to warm through slices of lamb. While I do that for my guests, I cover the platter with foil and a tea towel, then voila… medium-rare on the platter and medium to slightly more from the oven.This leg is rubbed with my favourite lamb seasonings of garlic, rosemary, and lemon, then roasted.Served with a lemon vinaigrette to brighten the entire meal. Cheers.
Ingredients
- 1 2 kg semi-boneless leg of lamb, (aitchbone removed, and trussed) excess fat trimmed to ¼ inch
- Oil for searing lamb
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ tablespoon coarse sea salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine
- *Roasting vegetables of your choice cut to cook in an equal time (I did fennel, sweet potatoes, carrots, and yellow potatoes), seasoned with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt & pepper
Vinaigrette
- Zest of one lemon
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Pat the lamb dry with paper towels. Set aside.
- To a mortar and pestle, add the garlic and sea salt, then pound (alternatively mince with a heavy knife). Then stir rosemary, pepper, salt & olive oil.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Heat a stovetop safe roasting pan over med-high heat (alternatively use a large skillet).
- Pour in 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil and heat through.
- Place the lamb in the pan and sear for 10 to 12 minutes, turning every 2 to 3 minutes until browned.
- Remove lamb to a board or plate. Set aside.
- Add the wine to the roasting pan to deglaze the stuck meat bits.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, then add the vegetables. Cook, stirring occasionally for 8 to minutes.
- While the vegetables are cooking, rub the paste all over lamb. Then nestle the lamb on top of the vegetables.
- Roast lamb in middle of oven for 30 minutes. Then toss the vegetables.
- Continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat (not touching the bone) registers 122°F to 126°F, 1¼ to 1½ hours. Transfer to a cutting board and rest lightly tented with foil for 15 to 25 minutes.
- Raise the oven temperature to 425°F, and roast to vegetables until browned and cooked to your liking.
- Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine.
- Once the vegetables have finished cooking, place them on a warm platter. Carve the lamb and place the slices on top of the vegetables.
- Serve with the dressing and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Tip, if any of your guests prefer their lamb cooked to medium or slightly more, take their portions, wrap them in foil and toss the foil package back in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes. While those portions are in the oven cover the platter with foil and tea towel to keep warm.
- *Note: choose hearty vegetables and cut them into sizes that can cook for at least 90 minutes at 350°F
- Note: the dressing amount is just enough to give a few teaspoons to each guest. If you choose to double the amount the dressing and have some leftover, store it in the fridge for up to a week and use it on salads, or grilled/roasted vegetables.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!