Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb

For perfectly cooked meat that is melt-in-the-mouth tender, you must try my Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb. Slowly roasted at a low temperature, we add flavour to the lamb with garlic, onions, and lemon, along with fresh rosemary and oregano to accentuate the Mediterranean flavours. The added chicken stock ensures that the result is succulent meat that falls off the bone. And if you lack carving skills, you will be relieved that the meat is fork tender and no carving skills are required for this dish!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 5

Resting Time 30

Total Time 6

Servings people

Calories 485kcal

Author Alexandra Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes

Ingredients

For the Leg of Lamb:

2.5 kg (5.5 lb) leg of lamb See Note 1
3 large cloves of garlic - cut into slivers
1 stalk fresh rosemary
3 medium brown/yellow onions – cut into thick wedges
2 medium lemons – cut into 1 cm (½" slices)
2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil See Note 2
2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 stalks fresh oregano
3 cups (750 ml) chicken stock See Note 3

For the Yoghurt and Mint Sauce:

1 cup (250 ml) natural/plain yoghurt
1 large clove of garlic - finely minced
2 teaspoon lemon juice - freshly squeezed
2 teaspoon fresh mint leaves - finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste See Note 4
fresh mint leaves and pomegranate arils - to garnish, optional

Instructions

Remove the leg of lamb from the fridge.
Using a sharp knife, make a deep insert into the skin/fat side of the flesh and insert a sprig of rosemary along with a garlic sliver. Use a fingertip or the tip of a blunt knife to push them down.
Repeat this procedure, leaving a space of about 2.5 cm (1 inch) between.
Rub the salt and black pepper into the top of the leg and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Then, gently pat dry with a paper towel.
Preheat your oven to 160 degrees C. (320 F)
In a large, heavy-based Dutch Oven or oven-safe saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, on your stove top, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. (One that will fit the leg of lamb.)
Add the lamb, skin/fat side down, and brown for 3–5 minutes. Turn over and brown the other side for 3–5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and add the onion, lemon slices, dried oregano and fresh oregano stalks around the lamb.
Pour the chicken stock around the side of the meat.
Put the lid on the saucepan and place in the preheated oven.
If you do not have a large enough pan, you can brown the meat and then add to a large casserole dish and cover very well in foil - you don't want the liquid to evaporate and the meat to dry out.
After about 2 ½ hours, carefully remove from the oven and check that there is sufficient liquid- there should be plenty. If there isn't, add a little more stock.
Baste the lamb with the juices and return to the oven for another 2 ½ hours.
Carefully remove the lamb from the saucepan onto to a warm serving platter, cover with foil and rest for 20 minutes. (It will be very, fragile – so ensure it is supported as you lift it out.)
Combine the ingredients for the yoghurt and mint sauce in a bowl and season to your liking.
Serve the Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb with a garnish of fresh mint leaves and pomegranate arils and the yoghurt and mint sauce.
Optional: reduce down some of the cooking liquid by about ⅓ - bring to a boil in small saucepan and simmer for 7-10 mins. Mix through the shredded lamb. The sauce will be a lemon and onion gravy and full of rich flavour. (See Note 5.)

Video

Notes

Lamb: the leg may come with the shank bone still attached. If necessary, you may need to cut this off to fit the meat in the pan you’re using for cooking. Alternatively, fold it over and cook with the leg.
Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons).
Stock: it is unlikely you will need to add more liquid, but if you find at the 2 ½ hour mark that it needs more, add a little additional stock to the pan. We recommend using either chicken or vegetable stock.
Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for this recipe.
Gravy: to use the full of flavour pan juices as they are, or make a gravy, use a spoon to skim the surface to remove excess fat.
Storage: cool leftovers as quickly as possible and store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheating: gently reheat the lamb using some of the leftover pan juices in the microwave, oven or frying pan. Alternatively, add a small amount of chicken stock or water to keep the flesh moist. It should be heated to register 75 degrees C (165 F) throughout.
Freezing: once cool, place in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Servings: will serve 4-6 people, depending on what it is served with.

Nutrition