Let’s face it, sometimes we all want to feel like the star of a cooking show, impressing guests with a dish that’s equal parts elegant and delicious. This roast leg of lamb with rosemary and orange does exactly that, without requiring the necessity for anything overly complicated. Such as dramatically tossing ingredients in the air, flambéing with alcohol or using tweezers to piece everything together afterwards.
Actually, at T&G, we can get behind the first two, but perhaps not the last.
The important element here is ensuring that lamb is cooked through evenly. A light blushing pink, rather than medium rare is the way forward, and this is achieved through proper resting in the oven afterwards.
Plus there is the prospect of a decent gravy to reward you for your patience. Again, lamb is often adorned by heavyweight sauces, using Port or Madeira, which is not a terrible thing.
But sometimes you just want to create a roast where the lamb shines through.
You know, the kind of dish that says, "I’m a seasoned home chef," but also, "I may have Googled some of this, but I look like I know exactly what I’m doing."
Ingredients - serves 6 to 8 people
For the Marinade:
100 ml fresh orange juice
100 ml white wine
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Lamb Roast:
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. Marinate the Lamb: Place the leg of lamb in a plastic bag along with the marinade ingredients. Squeeze out any excess air, seal the bag, and place it on a tray in case of any leaks. Marinate the lamb in the refrigerator overnight. To bring the lamb to room temperature, remove it from the refrigerator at least one hour before roasting.
2. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C. Position two racks in the oven—one in the middle to hold the lamb, and one lower to catch the drippings in a roasting pan.
3. Prepare the Lamb: Remove the lamb from the marinade bag (you can place it in a temporary roasting pan for easier handling). Pat the lamb dry with paper towels, then generously season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange the roast fat side up so that the fat melts into the meat while roasting.
4. Roast the Lamb: Place the lamb directly on the middle rack of the oven. Place a roasting pan on the lower rack to catch any drippings, and add some water to the bottom of the pan to prevent the drippings from burning. Roast the lamb at 200°C for 20 minutes to sear it, then reduce the heat to 140°C and roast for an additional 60 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the lamb rest inside for an hour. The residual heat will continue cooking the lamb and allow the juices to redistribute.
5. Make the Gravy: While the lamb rests, use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up all the meaty drippings from the roasting pan. Whisk a knob of butter into the drippings to create a rich gravy, and pass it through a fine sieve to remove any solids.
6 Serve: For a fresh, seasonal side, serve simply boiled new potatoes (which are now in season) in salted water with a handful of chopped fresh mint.
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