Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb
I was born in New Zealand and my dad’s side of the family all still live there. My husband is half Greek. Basically, our kids have no choice but to love lamb, it’s a double whammy! This Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb always reminds me of Christmas. We usually have it on Christmas Eve at my mom’s house. It’s funny, I grew up having it prepared this way by both my mom and dad, not sure who taught who, but it is clearly a Julia Child recipe for the marinade. I will tell you this, I have found no better way to prepare any cut of lamb than with this recipe.
We have a son who hates mustard. I mean hates it. Like to the point where he won’t get too close when talking to his younger brother who loves it shortly after he eats a sandwich because he is so grossed out by potential mustard breath. I can relate only because that’s how I feel about mayonnaise, so I get it. So many recipes, marinades, salad dressings have yellow mustard or dijon in them and he eats them all. Heaven forbid he ever read my blog one day, he would probably have a few choice words. The only thing I added to this marinade is chopped fresh rosemary, I feel it’s a must with lamb. This is a simple recipe with only a few steps, but it turns out perfect every time.
The other thing I do is chop up a few extra cloves of garlic and make slits in the lamb to push them in. This was something my mom and dad both did and it adds incredible flavor to the dish. I hope you try it and enjoy it and if you have a mustard hating kid, just don’t tell them…they’ll never know! We paired it with a 2011 Frank Family Sangiovese wine and it was perfection. Cheers to Julia Child and Happy Holidays!
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Total Time
1 hour 20 minutes
Course
Entree
Cuisine
French
Servings
6 servings
Ingredients
1 3-4 lb. boneless leg of lamb
5 cloves garlic divided
1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme chopped
1 teaspoon Fresh Rosemary chopped
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup EVOO
2 Tablespoons Flour
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/4 cup wine
Instructions
Chop garlic, thyme, rosemary, garlic and combine in a mixing bowl with dijon, lemon juice and soy. Whisk in the EVOO.
Make small slits on both sides of the lamb, using a paring knife and tuck small cuts of garlic into the lamb.
Add lamb to a large ziplock bag and pour marinade in. Massage to coat completely and refrigerate to marinate for at least a few hours, up to overnight.
Set a middle rack in your oven in place and preheat to 425F. Place lamb in a large roasting pan on top of a rack, fat side up. Roast at 425F for 30 minutes until it starts to brown.
Reduce heat to 350 F and continue roasting until meat thermometer registers 135 F (for medium rare). Remove from oven, tent with foil to rest at least 15 minutes and carve to serve.
If you'd like to make a gravy, which I highly recommend, save the pan drippings. Whisk in about 2 Tbs. of flour and butter to the pan drippings at the bottom of the roasting pan over moderate heat. Add in some wine, white or red will both work out fine. Pour into a gravy boat and serve alongside the lamb.