Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb
Lamb will take approx 30 minutes per kilo, plus 15 minutes. Alternatively a temperature probe is very handy. Insert into the thickest part of the meat half way in. It should read 50-55˚C. Upon resting the temperature will rise to 60˚C. Perfect pink roast lamb! If you like it a little more done, allow 1 hour and 25 minutes, or a reading of 65˚C. Always rest before carving.
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 1 x 2 – 2.5kg leg of New Zealand Lamb can be chilled or thawed from frozen
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and sliced
- the leaves from 15cm stalk of rosemary chopped
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 heads of fennel cut into 6 wedges each
- 2 bunches baby carrots skins scrubbed
- 10 dried apricots halved
- 100 g whole almonds
- 60 g walnut pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven 180˚C / Gas 4
- Place the lamb in a roasting dish and poke a thin small knife into the flesh in 12 places.
- Mix the garlic, rosemary, thyme and olive oil with a little salt and pepper and poke this into all of the holes and rub the remainder over the leg.
- Place in the centre of the oven and roast for 45 minutes. After 20 minutes, add 100ml water to prevent the garlic from burning.
- Tip the fennel and carrots onto the lamb and turn the leg over then roast for 30 minutes.
- Take the lamb from the dish, add the apricots, walnuts and almonds, then replace the lamb, again turned over, and put back in the oven.
- It will be cooked medium (which is lovely for leg of lamb) in another 15 - 25 minutes depending on the size.
- Remove the lamb from the roasting dish and sit on a plate loosely covered with foil and a tea towel, and rest in a warm place for at least 15 minutes.
- Turn the oven off, put the roasting dish back in, and keep warm