How to Make the Most of Your Roast Lamb
Care for succulent, melt-in-your-mouth lamb? Choose your leg or shoulder (with or without the bone), then follow theses tips.
Serving sizes
Bone in lamb
1.8kg leg of lamb – serves 4-5 people
2.8kg leg of lamb – serves 7-8 people
Boneless lamb
1.2kg leg of lamb – serves 4-5 people
2.0kg leg of lamb – serves 7-8 people
How to prepare and cook your lamb
Take the lamb from the fridge about 15 minutes before cooking to help it cook more evenly.
Use a roasting pan close to the size of the lamb roast you are cooking, so pan juices do not burn and give the meat a burnt taste.
Place lamb on a wire rack (or bed of vegies) in the roasting pan to allow it to brown evenly.
Baste roast with pan juices as it cooks. Add a little stock to pan to increase pan juices. Or make a baste using a mix of olive oil and lemon juice.
Take larger roasts out of the oven just short of their ‘doneness’ goal, as larger roasts and bone-in roasts tend to cook a little further as they rest.
Use tongs to test if it’s cooked. Gently prod or squeeze the roast: rare is soft when pressed, medium is springy, well done is very firm.
Give lamb time to rest after cooking to give the meat juices a chance to redistribute for a moister and more tender result. Cover loosely with foil, then rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.
Basic Roast Lamb Recipe
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2.5kg leg of lamb (see tip, below)
4 garlic cloves, sliced, plus extra 3 bulbs
½ bunch rosemary, sprigs cut into 1-2cm lengths
12 French shallots
Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle, plus extra, to grease
Snow pea sprouts, to garnish
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a baking tray. Remove lamb from packaging and set aside for 30-40 minutes to bring up to room temperature. Using a small paring knife, make 2cm-deep slits all over lamb, then insert garlic slices and rosemary segments into slits.
Transfer lamb to prepared tray with extra garlic bulbs and shallots. Season with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with oil.
Roast for about 1½ hours for medium-cooked lamb (increase time if you like it more cooked). Cover loosely with foil and set aside for 20-30 minutes to rest. Reserve pan juices for gravy or Cherry and Port Sauce (see recipe, left). Carve and serve.
Smart Tips:
Allow 250-350g lamb per person (with 350g being for hungry eaters, or to allow for leftovers).
To allow for ease of squeezing soft, cooked garlic from the cloves, chop the tops off the bulbs before roasting.
Cherry and Port Sauce Recipe
Makes 2.5 cups
Ingredients:
1 cup red wine
1½ cups port
3-4 slices ginger
1 finely chopped French shallot
1 star-anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp caster sugar
½ cup pan juices (from lamb)
2½ tsp cornflour
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
300g pitted cherries (fresh or frozen), halved
40g butter, cubed
Method:
Place wine, port, ginger, shallot, star-anise, cinnamon and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add pan juices. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 12-15 minutes or until reduced by half. Strain and discard solids.
In same pan, dissolve cornflour in balsamic over a medium heat, stirring until slightly thickened. Add cherries and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until softened slightly. Gradually whisk in butter. Season. Serve with roast lamb.
The Perfect Lamb Condiments
Tzatziki
Combine 1½ cups Greek-style yoghurt, 1 finely chopped lebanese cucumber (175g), 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and ⅓ cup shredded mint leaves in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate. To serve, top with chopped dill.
Horseradish cream
Mix 250g crème fraîche with 2 tablespoons horseradish cream and ½ teaspoon chipotle seasoning. Sprinkle with extra chipotle, if you like. Serve chilled.
Mint pesto
Place 1 bunch mint leaves, ⅓ cup pistachios and ⅓ cup grated parmesan in a food processor. Process until finely chopped. With motor running, slowly add ⅔ cup olive oil in a steady stream until mixture is smooth and thick. Serve chilled.
Other Lamb Roast Recipes to try
Persian Spiced Slow Roasted Lamb – Recipe Here
Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Rosé Wine and Quince Paste – Recipe Here
Slow-Roasted Cumin Lamb Shoulder with Marinated Labne – Recipe Here
