How to roast a leg of lamb. Easy recipe for a lovely leg of lamb for the whole family.
The other day, my husband came back from the shops with a leg of lamb. I love lamb, we make it at home pretty regularly either as chops or mince (bolognese is amazing with lamb!), however, I had never tackled such a big piece of meat before and I felt somewhat intimidates.
I had a million questions. Do you marinate a leg of lamb? What are the best herbs for a leg of lamb? Should I cover it, while roasting?
Determined not to be defeated by a piece of shopping and to give justice to such an amazing piece of meat, I set out to study and I ended up roasting an absolutely delicious leg of lamb, one the whole family polished off with great satisfaction!
So, today I am here to share what I learned with you. This is how to roast a leg of lamb, the easy way!
Table of Contents
How to roast a leg of lamb: questions and answers
Do you marinade a leg of lamb?
This was the first question I had and one I found an unequivocal answer for, no matter who I asked. NO, you do not need to marinate a leg of lamb, actually, that would be counter-productive.
The meat of a leg of lamb is pretty tender and a marinade is likely to make it much tougher: so, for less work and better taste, no marinade required!
Cooking for Easter? If you want to give an Irish twist to your Easter dinner. Have a look at these Irish Easter food ideas. Lamb is only one of the many!
Do you cover a leg of lamb for roasting?
I was pretty sure the answer to this question would be a yes instead, is a no again! You do not need to cover your leg of lamb, no baking paper nor tin foil required!
What are the best herbs for lamb?
Lamb is usually served with a min sauce but the herbs that work better for roasting it are rosemary and garlic.
What is the cooking time for a leg of lamb?
A leg of lamb cooks surprisingly quickly. In a ventilated oven, I cook it 15 mins per 500 grams + 15 extra minutes (more if you like it very well done, I usually check a small side of the leg to be sure, especially since I give it to the kids too.
What sides go with a leg of lamb?
An Irish roast dinner would not be complete without roast potatoes. For vegetables, I love carrots or carrot and parsnip puree, another Irish staple that goes amazingly well with the taste of lamb (and it is pretty sweet so it goes down a treat with kids too).
If you want to go super traditional, then you can of course make colcannon too!
How to roast a leg of lamb: what you need
I find 3 things are most useful to have when roasting a large piece of meat like a leg of lamb.
- A good quality oven tray that can also go on the hobs (see below)
- A sharp knife for carving
- Kitchen thongs
How to roast a leg of lamb: the process
Roasting a leg of lamb can be as easy as putting it into an oven and turn on the heat, however, there is a trick to make it super tasty and this trick is to seal the meal.
Sealing the meat means to quickly cook the outside of it so that it gets golden and tasty, even before the rest is cooked at all.
To do this, I usually take a goof oven proof tray, put some olive oil in it and heat it up on the hobs. As soon as the oil is hot, I use the kitchen thongs to lift my lamb and put it in: leave to cook for a minute or so, until the hot il turns the first side golden, then turn and repeat for all sides.
Once you are happy, I like to add rosemary and then I simply put in the oven and leave it to cook. I told you it was easy!
Roast leg of lamb: delicious, easy recipe for inexperienced cooks
Super simple roasted leg of lamb, perfect for a roast dinner or a family meal. This recipe requires no experience and it is an easy way to bring to your table a tasty and impressive dinner, without any fuss!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Additional Time5 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Ingredients
- Leg of lamb (I use Irish lamb which is so tender and delicious but any good quality lamb will do)
- Rosemary (a small branch)
- Olive oil
- Salt
Instructions
- Put olive oil in an ovenproof container
- Heat it up on the hob, then add the leg of lamb to seal the meat (aka: cook the outside of the meat so it becomes crispy and traps the nice meat juices inside)
- Turn the lamb in the oil as many time as needed for all sides to be golden brown and sealed
- Being careful not to get burnt, add rosemary to the naturally occurring creases of the meat
- Place in the oven (same tin!) and let cook. It usually takes 15 mins per 500 gr + 15 mins cooking at 200°C/gas mark 6
- Leave to rest for 5 extra minutes for the juice to settle and serve
Mama Loves Ireland
Céad míle fáilte! A thousand times welcome! I am a travel-loving Italian Mama lucky enough to call Ireland her home. Let my articles help you plan your trip to Ireland and get ready to fall in love with the Emerald Isle, just like I did. With love. M x
