Classic roast lamb

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Combine the garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Score the top side of the lamb with a sharp knife and place in a large roasting dish. Spread the garlic and herb mixture over the lamb, rubbing into the scored cuts. Drizzle with extra olive oil.
3. Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour 30 minutes for medium, or until the lamb is cooked to your liking. Baste frequently.
4. After 50 minutes, add the vegetables, garlic bulb and sprigs of rosemary. Toss to coat in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables for 40 minutes, or until they are tender and golden.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the mint sauce. Place the vinegar, caster sugar and water into a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before stirring in the chopped mint.
6. Slice the lamb and serve with the roast vegetables and mint sauce.

Recipe notes

Lamb – Unless you’re a seasoned cook, knowing if your lamb leg is cooked correctly can be a challenge. The overall cooking time in the recipe is just a guideline – this will change if your cut is smaller or larger. A good meat thermometer can make life much easier!

We recommend the following temperatures:

Rare 60°C

Medium rare 60–65°C

Medium 65–70°C

Medium well done 70°C

Well done 75°C

Vegetables – Feel free to add extra vegetables into your meal, like steamed green beans, peas or corn. If you want to impress a crowd, you could try creating our Courgette, bean, peas and Massimo’s Bocconcini salad as an accompaniment. We also love the Roasted Garlic, Pine Nut and Mint Pesto on our Roasting Tips page.

Gravy – To make a simple gravy, you’ll just need about 4 tbsp of flour and 2 ½ cups of stock. Once you’ve removed the lamb from the roasting dish, place the dish on the stove over medium heat. Once the fat starts to bubble, add in flour, and cook for 1 minute. Next, pour in beef stock and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste, and simmer until sauce is the correct consistency. Strain into a bowl.

Leftovers – Roast lamb makes excellent leftovers! Delicious, cold and hot, it can be put into sandwiches, salads, and pastas. Our personal favourite is this Leftover roast lamb and kumara hash.

FAQ

How long should I cook my lamb for and how do I know if it’s done?

See Recipe Notes – Meat Thermometer above.

Can I make this ahead?

Yes – but not too far ahead! Your lamb leg will stay warm for up to 1 hour, and the inside will remain warm even after about 3 hours. If serving with gravy, this will need to be heated before serving.