by Teresa Rodak

Created on: September 14, 2008   Last Updated: December 15, 2011

I am not a huge fan of roasted leg of lamb, but my mother is. She especially loves it with mint jelly. I cooked it for her for her last birthday dinner. I didn't do too bad, there is alot of preperation involved so make sure you have some time.

Ingredients:
1 leg of lamb about 4-5 pounds
3 slivered garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary or some fresh sprigs rosemary

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, coarsely ground
coarse salt

Directions
Remove lamb from refrigerator 1 hour before roasting.
Preheat oven to 400F/200C/Gas 6.
Make small slits, just large enough for garlic slivers, evenly in the leg of lamb, and insert the garlic slivers.
Rub all over with lemon juice, then pat the rosemary and black pepper evenly over the surface. Sprinkle with salt to taste. If you're using fresh rosemary, just insert the sprigs with the garlic slivers into the cuts you made.
Place lamb, fat side up on a rack in an uncovered pan.
Roast 30 minutes to a pound or until the internal temperature reaches 175-180F, for meat well done. If you prefer slightly rare lamb, roast until 160-165F.
When done, remove from oven, cover the roast in foil and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving.

If you also want delicious rich gravy, place 1 1/2 cups of lamb or beef stock in the bottom of the pan before you put the lamb in the oven, making sure that the rack sits above the liquid and the meat doesn't touch it. You can also add a sprig or two of rosemary to it and, if you want, baste the lamb a couple of times while it's roasting. Just before serving bring the liquid to a simmer on the stove top, making sure you whisk it well and scrape all the bits from the sides and the bottom of the pan. If you want more gravy you can add some extra stock or some of the water you have cooked your vegetables inches Mix 1tbsp of cornflour with 2tbsp of water and whisk it into the stock. Simmer until thickened and you have a wonderful gravy.

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