Perfect Roasted Leg of Lamb

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 1 hour
• total time: 2 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 4 to 5 pound leg of lamb, (bone-in, fat trimmed)

Salt and pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

5 garlic cloves, (peeled and sliced; more for later)

2 cups water

8 gold potatoes, (peeled and cut into wedges)

1 yellow onion, (peeled and cut into wedges)

1 teaspoon paprika, (more for later)

1 teaspoon all-natural garlic powder

Fresh parsley for garnish, (optional)

15 garlic cloves, (peeled)

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons dried mint flakes

1 tablespoons paprika

1/2 tablespoons nutmeg

1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil

2 lemons, (juice of)

Directions

Bring the leg of lamb to room temp. Take the leg of lamb out of the refrigerator and leave in room temperature for about 1 hour. In the meantime, prepare the remaining ingredients and make the lamb rub.

Prepare the seasoning. To make the rub or seasoning, in a food processor, combine the rub ingredients. Blend until smooth. Set aside (or in the fridge, if preparing in advance).

Salt the meat. When ready, pat the lamb dry and make a few slits on both sides. Season with salt and pepper.

Sear the Lamb. Turn the oven on broil. Place the leg of lamb on a wire rack and put it directly on the top rack so that it's only a few inches away from the broiler element. Broil for 5-7 minutes on each side or until the leg of lamb is nicely seared. Remove from the oven, then adjust the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Apply the seasoning or rub. When the lamb is cool enough to handle, insert the garlic slices in the slits you made earlier. Now cover the leg of lamb on all sides with the wet rub and place it in the middle of a roasting pan with an inside rack. Add two cups of water to the bottom of the roasting pan.

For Medium Roasted Lamb Leg

Season the potato and onion wedges with the paprika, garlic powder and a little salt, then add them to the pan on either side of the lamb.

Cover and roast. Tent a large piece of foil over the roasting pan (make sure it does not touch the lamb) then place the pan on the middle rack of the 325 degrees F heated-oven. Roast covered for about 1 hour. Remove the foil and return the roasting pan to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the lamb temperature registers 125 degrees F.

Let rest. Remove the pan from the oven and let the leg of lamb rest for about 15 to 20 minutes before serving (the lamb will continue to cook and its internal temperature will continue to rise to around 130 degrees F).

Serve. Place the roast lamb and potatoes in a large serving platter over a bed of rice, you like. Garnish with parsley. Or, you may carve the lamb first, then arrange the sliced lamb with the potatoes over the rice.

For Fall-Apart Slow Roasted Lamb

Cover and roast the lamb. Follow the recipe to step #5, and once seasoned, Tent a large piece of foil over the roasting pan (make sure it does not touch the lamb) then place the pan on the middle rack of the 325 degrees F heated-oven. Roast covered for about 4 to 4 1/2 hours.

Add the potatoes and onions to the pan. Season the potato and onion wedges with the paprika, garlic powder and a little salt, then add them to the pan on either side of the lamb. Return the pan to the oven, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or so.

Uncover and return the pan to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes.

Rest. Remove from the oven and tent the lamb with a piece of foil. Allow it to rest for about 15 minutes (its internal temperature should be at 175 degrees or beyond for fall-apart tender lamb).

Nutrition

• Calories: 514.5 kcal
• Total Fat: 22.2 g
• Saturated Fat: 5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 15.5 g
• Cholesterol: 114.3 mg
• Sodium: 129.3 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 38.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6.1 g
• Total Sugars: 3 g
• Protein: 41.5 g