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Leg of Spring Lamb

Ready in 1 hr 40 mins

Recipe by Graham 

Delicious, succulent Leg of Spring Lamb - yummy! The most important thing to remember about cooking a lamb roast is to not over-cook it. Lamb has such wonderful flavour on its own, and is so naturally tender, that it is bound to turn out well, as long as it is still a little pink inside.

There is some debate over which method yields the best results - slow cooking at low heat the entire time, or searing first on high heat and then slow cooking. Personally, I prefer the slower-cook method described in the following recipe...

Preparation Time

10 Minutes

Cooking Time

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Ingredients for Leg of Spring Lamb

If you are not familiar with any ingredients, please check our International Cooking Terms page.

Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements

To serve 6:

3 lb leg of spring lamb
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 orange
6 tablespoons crème fraiche
  salt and pepper

How to Cook Leg of Spring Lamb

  1. Peel and crush (mince) the garlic and mix with the thyme. With a sharp knife, make slits in the lamb and stuff with the thyme and garlic paste. Place the lamb in a roasting tin and drizzle over the olive oil, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Roast in a preheated moderately hot oven (Mk 5 - 375ºF - 190ºC) for 30 minutes per lb (per 450g) making sure you baste the joint at least 3 times while it is cooking. When it is cooked as you like it, remove it to a carving board and keep it in a warm place to rest for 15-20 minutes.
  2. Mash the anchovies and squeeze the juice from the orange. Make a gravy by using the lamb essence that remains in the roasting tin and adding the anchovies, orange juice and crême fraiche. Stir whilst heating, but do not allow to boil.
  3. Serve the lamb with Roast Potatoes and Whole Continental Cabbage
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
To tell if the lamb is cooked to your liking, insert a skewer into the centre, remove it, then press the flat of the skewer against the meat: as the juice runs out, you will see to what degree the meat is cooked – the pinker the juice, the rarer the meat.