The Recipe Box – Recipe 6.0: Leg of Lamb with Lemon, Rosemary & Garlic

The longer you marinate the lamb, the better! Prepare and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before roasting for best flavor, but don’t worry, even marinating 1 hour is fine!

Prep Time:

20 min

Cook time:

About 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 3-4 pound boneless leg of lamb
• 1 large lemon, washed, seeds removed, and chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp coarse kosher salt
• ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• You will also need butchers string and an instant read meat thermometer.

Directions:

• Lamb:

  Pat dry and lay flat on a cutting board. Since the bone has been removed, the lamb will lay slightly open. Trim all excess fat from lamb. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.

• Lemon/rosemary paste:

  In a food processor or blender, combine chopped lemon, rosemary leaves, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. (You can also do this by hand using a very sharp knife.) Pulse or chop until texture becomes a finely minced paste.

• Apply paste evenly to both sides of the lamb, pressing it into the meat with your fingers. Gently roll up the lamb, tucking in loose pieces so it resembles a football shape. Tie 4-5 pieces of string along the width about 2 inches apart, and then 2 pieces of string diagonally along the length. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for 1 to 24 hours in refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove lamb from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking, and place in foil lined roasting pan. Place lamb on middle rack; and after 5 minutes, reduce temperature to 425 degrees. Roast for 30 minutes and check temperature. Continue to roast until meat reaches a temperature of 135-140 degrees for medium rare. (Lamb will continue to cook for a couple minutes after removed from the oven.) Allow the meat to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving and serving.

Serve with roasted fingerling potatoes and sautéed fresh asparagus. Delicious!