Roast Lamb
Roasting a leg of lamb on the bone is really a very simple and a real crowd pleaser. I did this recipe for 8 people and the total time preparing it was about 45 minutes, a real walk in the park. Be sure to go to a good butcher who will select a nice piece of meat for you. I got this one from the butcher in Benmore Gardens, they have been around for more than 20 years and are great guys with all sorts of advice. (8 people)
What you need
2.6 – 2.8kg leg of lamb on the bone
6 large cloves garlic halved
large handful of chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, basil, origanum, parsley)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
The process
Heat your oven to 190 Celsius
In the morning take the leg of lamb out of the fridge and leave it in a cool place until you get home. You don’t want very cold meat to go into the oven.
Slice your garlic cloves lengthways in half and prepare your pile of fresh herbs.
Cut 12 thin slits all over the leg and stuff a piece of garlic into each one, then stuff the hole with fresh herbs.
take a little olive oil on your hands and rub the leg to give it a thin coating of oil, then give a good grind of salt on pepper over the surface.
Slosh a bit of oil into the roasting pan and place the leg with the fatty side facing up, jam it in the oven, pour a glass of wine and leave it for 1 hour. After 1 hour check on it, spoon over a little of the juices that have collected and roast for another 1 hour.
Thats it, done.
Cooking times for roast lamb are 50 minutes per kilo plus an extra 20 minutes. This will give you medium lamb, if you like it a little more rare reduce the time by 10 minutes per kilo and always let it rest to 15 minutes or so before carving.
Serve with roast potatoes, and gravy.
hi i wanna prepare a great dinner for family any ideas plz baie dankie
i diva, where to start…. Leg of lamb is a good place..
Here are a few of my favorites
Lamb shanks
https://cookbook.co.za/meat-recipes/greek-lamb-shanks/
Malva pudding
https://cookbook.co.za/dessert-recipes/malva-pudding/
KFC recipe
https://cookbook.co.za/chicken-recipes/kfc-fried-chicken/
Eton Mess
https://cookbook.co.za/dessert-recipes/easy-eton-mess/
I could go on and on… Have a lekker day G
Finally, a truly South African cooking site that is on point. Thanks Graham!
Thanks Tile, so glad you found us, have a fantastic time. G
Hi I bought a pack of chops that have a small leg of lamb included.I do not have a scale,so for how long should i cook it?
Hi Lea, difficult to say but perhaps pick up a bag of sugar or flour and estimate the weight then use the cooking times at the bottom of the recipe.
https://cookbook.co.za/meat-recipes/lamb-recipes/roast-lamb-leg/
Happy days G
White or red wine?
I’m a white wine man… Cheers to a fabulous dinner and remember to always have some fun, G
hi
love the site. i am a huge foodie and love sending on tried and tested tips- recently stuffed the holes with anchovies, garlic and rosemary and then rubbed with a mix of lemon juice, lemon rind, dijon, olive oil and soft butter. heaven.
happy eating
Oh Wow, that sounds incredible, would never have added anchovies to the mix but will be giving it a try. Thanks so much tara, I we appreciate any tried and tested tips. Cheers for now G
Hi. What is good side/vegetable dishes for a Christmas dinner with Turkey and Leg of Lamb? Tx.
Hi Deon, you can never go wrong with creamed spinach and sweet butternut
https://cookbook.co.za/vegetables/sweet-butternut/
https://cookbook.co.za/vegetables/creamed-spinach/
Then I really enjoy steamed broccoli and cauliflower smothered with a white sauce
https://cookbook.co.za/sauces/white-sauces/
Have a great time G
Hi Graham,
What would the process be of reheating this the next day without losing its juices?
Hi again, allowing it to cool in the liquid keeps it moist so it will be moist and delicious when you reheat and glaze, just remember to leave it out to get to room temp before you reheat or the middle will still be cold. Happy days G
hi graham
just want to confirm should the oven be on grill or bake? or should both elements be on?
Hi Felicia, oven must be on bake, the lower elements will be on to heat the oven then come on to maintain the temp. Cheers for now G
Hi Graham
Just another thought, what is the difference between a leg of lamb on the bone or deboned. Is there a difference in taste and coooking time. Bye now.
Hi Barbara, Lamb with the bone in will have more flavour, particularly in the gravy drippings and will take longer to cook. I sometimes buy a roll, deboned leg of lamb that is fantastic and of course far less hassle to carve. Cheers G
I am engadged to marry a vegeterian, so when it comes to cooking/roasting meat, I am hopeless… Christmas time is coming up and I need to impress my meat eating friends and family… I am hoping to try out this recipe! Just one question – Must I cover the roast with a lid or foil before I put it in the oven? If no, does the meat then not end up dry?
Hi Summer, it does not need covering and should be cooked medium to medium rare, If you like it well done It would be a good idea to cover for 1/2 of the total cooking time. Cheers G
Hi Graham
Should the lamb be in a covered dish (lid on) or open in the oven?
Hi Bernadine, in an open oven dish. If you see the outside getting too dark cover it up but you should not need to. If you want a fall apart lamb cover and leave in a 140 Celsius oven for about 5 hours. Lekker weekend G