I think the best way to cook lamb is to slow roast it. It’s easier, it’s more forgiving and leaves you with juicy, fall off the bone, meat. We’re also making a confit garlic sauce with the pan juices to pour over the top of the lamb. Great as the hero dish at any lunch of dinner (especially during Christmas).
Category
Lunch
Servings
4-6
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
4 hours 20 minutes
I think the best way to cook lamb is to slow roast it. It’s easier, it’s more forgiving and leaves you with juicy, fall off the bone, meat. We’re also making a confit garlic sauce with the pan juices to pour over the top of the lamb. Great as the hero dish at any lunch of dinner (especially during Christmas).
Ingredients
- 1.5kg (3.3 lbs) lamb leg, bone in
- sea salt and black pepper, to season
- 30 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 red onions, quartered
- 8 sprigs rosemary
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- 750ml (3 cups) beef stock
Directions
Prep the lamb
Preheat the oven to 150°C fan forced (300°F).
- Season the lamb with salt on all sides. Place the garlic in the base of a large heavy-based roasting pan, then top with the lamb.
- Place the onions, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves in around the lamb, season with some black pepper, then pour over the stock.
- Place a piece of baking paper over the top of the lamb, then cover the pan tightly with foil.
Roast the lamb
Roast the lamb for 4 hours.
- Increase the oven temperature to 200°C fan forced (390°F).
- Remove the foil from the pan and roast for a further 20 minutes, until the lamb skin begins to brown and crispen. Transfer the lamb to a serving dish and keep warm.
Make pan sauce and serve
Remove all the hard herbs from the pan, then transfer the pan sauce, with the garlic and onions, to a jug and allow the fat to settle to the top.
- Skim off the fat, then puree with a stick (immersion) blender until smooth.
Pour the sauce over the lamb and pull the meat apart from the bone with carving forks to serve.
Recipe notes
Cook support
You will not need any oil in the pan as the lamb will render enough oil during the cooking process.
Sourcing
I used 2 small half-legs of lamb in this recipe, but you can use one larger leg of lamb with the same cooking times and sauce quantities.
Substitutions
This recipe could be adapted for a lamb shoulder on the bone, which will become just as tender when slow cooked.
Storage
Store any lamb leftovers pulled off the bone and in the sauce in an airtight container, refrigerated for several days.
Serving ideas
This lamb can be served simply with some crusty bread and a side salad, or you could go with some steamed greens and a bed of polenta, pasta or mashed potato.
FAQs
Can I cook this the day before?Yes. Slow roast the lamb, keep it covered, then reheat and crisp it in a hot oven just before serving.
Can I use chicken stock instead of beef stock? Yes. Beef stock gives a deeper result, but chicken stock will still work.
How do I know when the lamb is done? The meat should be very tender and pull away from the bone easily with forks.
