Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday and what’s a better gift than making Mom a special dinner? In our opinion, it’s the ultimate way to show your Mom you love her. And probably the ultimate dish you can make for this special occasion has to be an entire roasted leg of lamb. Since Easter just happened, now is the time to stock up on some quality legs of lamb at your local grocery store due to the fact that they will undoubtedly be on sale.
The beauty of an entire leg of lamb roast, is that despite what many people think, it’s no different than cooking any other roast. Most of the work is in the prep stage and even that is quite simple. Once the roast goes in the oven, all you have to do is play the waiting game until it finishes cooking. This is the perfect dish to make for the whole family on Mother’s Day that is sure to impress everyone and anyone.
- 1 whole leg of lamb 3-5 lbs
- 4 cloves garlic, cut into thick slices
- fresh rosemary sprigs, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 2 tbs sea salt
- black pepper
- Rinse leg of lamb with cold water and pat dry.
- Liberally coat entire leg with sea salt and pepper. Place in plastic bag and refrigerate for 2 hours but up to 24. The longer you wait, the more the salt will penetrate the meat and season it throughout.
- Remove lamb from bag and rinse with cool water and pat dry.
- Preheat oven to 425° F
- While oven is preheating use a pairing knife to cut slits about 1 inch deep all around the lamb. Stuff garlic clove slices and rosemary sprig pieces in each slit.
- Place lamb in a roasting pan and roast in oven at 425° F for 30 minutes to get an 'oven sear'
- Reduce heat to 325° F and roast leg of lamb until internal temperature reads 132°-135° on an oven thermometer.
- Once desired doneness has been achieved, remove lamb from oven and let rest at MINIMUM of 30 minutes but ideally up to an hour. This will allow the juices to relax inside the lamb and keep it moist.
- Slice lamb perpendicular to the bone and serve.
- Enjoy!
****Disclosure: If you purchase any of the products linked in this post or products through the links on the right side of my page, I receive a small percentage from the respected affiliate programs****