Simple Roast Leg of Lamb With Garlic and Rosemary Recipe (2024)

This tender and juicy roast leg of lamb is going to take your Easter dinner or your next Sunday roast to a whole new level. It's served blushing pink and stuffed with garlicky wilted spinach. This Easter lamb platter is ultra simple to pull together and serving this on a platter at the table has huge WOW! Factor.

There are few things that make me think of Easter more than lamb. And I get it. The idea of putting together a roast dinner for a special occasion can be really intimidating. But it can be simple to put together and really fun to make. I'm gonna walk you through step by step what needs to happen and when, to get this epic roast on the table. This porketta is a great alternative to lamb, if you love the trimmings, but want something different.

I've always loved roast lamb. But there are really only 2 ways to serve it. Slow roasted, so it falls off the bone, or blushing pink and extra juicy. Blushing pink lamb = temperature probe/meat thermometer territory. This lamb is blushing pink. This means that it's a quick and simple roast to put together. So grab a temperature probe and let's get cooking!Bet you never thought that quick, simple and roast could all be used in the same sentence?!

How to Roast leg of lamb step by step

• Start with the stuffing of the lamb. It's tempting to want to do the lamb first, but that' almost the last step of the whole process. Start by infusing the oil in the pan with some garlic. I used 2 cloves, but you can increase or decrease depending on how much you like garlic. When the garlic is golden, toss in some chopped herbs (I used thyme and rosemary) and wilt the spinach. Set this aside to cool. We want it to be room temperature before we stuff the lamb. You may think that this doesn't look like a lot of stuffing. And you'd be right. But it's not like turkey stuffing. With this, you just want a subtle pinwheel of spinach running through the lamb, not for it to be bursting at the seams.

• Gently slice the lamb through the middle like a book. Spread the spinach over the inside of the lamb in a thin even layer. Then, slow and stead, roll the lamb up into a log and tie with kitchen twine or butchers string. Tuck rosemary under the twine before roasting. To roast the lamb and really boost the flavour factor, the key is to lay the lamb on a bed of thinly sliced onions. It may look like a small mountain of onion, but once they start roasting, they give up the water and shrink down. Seeing as an onion is about 90% water, more is better.

Roast that lamb like you would roast a chicken. In other words, 30 minutes per pound plus another 30 minutes at the end. But like I said, this is NOT something you want to leave to a timer. Nope. This is a job for a meat thermometer. If you're going to put all this effort into making a roast leg of lamb, this is not something you want to leave to chance. I use the Thermapen 4thermometres because, they're the fastest reading probe on the market.

Not only that, but in my 10 years of working in Michelin star kitchens, Thermapen is all we ever used. That's right. At every restaurant (6!!!) Thermapen is what we used. Always.

Instant read, and with a display that rotates 360. As a lefty, that means that I'm not trying to look at my temperature upside down!!! That alone is a huge win!

Roast Leg of Lamb Side Dishes Step by Step

• Once you're roasting that lamb, it's time to get the carrots, cabbage and potatoes done. Don't worry. We're still on easy street over here. You need to cut the potatoes into quarters and boil until they're almost cooked. Toss the carrots with some olive oil and salt and pepper. And thyme leaves. Lots of thyme leaves.
• Okay. Now remember how you wilted that spinach for our stuffing? We're giving some cabbage the exact same treatment. The amazing news is that since the cabbage isn't steamed or boiled it retains all it's nutrients. Hey, we need to counteract all that Easter chocolate somehow, right?!

When the lamb gets to 60c for medium, you'll want to take it out and rest it. If you'd like your lamb done more, then you can consult this handy temperature guide and take out your lamb when it's cooked to your liking. Cover it with some foil and leave it to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

The Yorkshire puddings are optional, but they're so simple it would be crazy to not do them!

When people think of a roast dinner, they think of being tied to the kitchen for hours on end with mountains of dishes to do at the end. But it really doesn't have to be that way. Some simple planning, and some flavour helpers, like lots of fresh herbs and garlic, are all you need. Make this roast leg of lamb for Easter, and I promise you will come back to it again and again.

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