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Roast leg of lamb on a platter with Hasselback potatoes, carrots, roasted garlic, herbs and pomegranate seeds.

Roast Leg of Lamb with Potatoes

Bone-in leg of lamb roasted with paprika, garlic, rosemary and thyme, then finished with Hasselback potatoes, carrots and roasted garlic for a festive dinner.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Resting Time 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Lamb
  • 1 bone-in leg of young lamb
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon dried granulated garlic
  • 1 tablespoon lamb or meat seasoning blend
  • ½ cup (120 ml) olive oil
  • a few sprigs fresh thyme leaves finely chopped
  • a few sprigs fresh rosemary leaves finely chopped
  • Salt according to the lamb’s size and the seasoning blend; see notes
For the Vegetables and Garlic Oil
  • 8–12 medium potatoes
  • 3–4 carrots
  • 6 heads garlic total for the entire recipe, divided between the lamb, garlic oil and roasting
  • ½ cup (120 ml) olive oil
  • a few sprigs fresh thyme leaves finely chopped
  • Salt to taste
For Serving
  • Pomegranate seeds
  • Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Method
 

  1. Preheat a conventional oven to 355°F (180°C). Combine the paprika, dried garlic, meat seasoning, chopped rosemary and thyme with ½ cup olive oil.
  2. Pat the lamb dry. Trim tough outer membranes and excess thick fat. Peel a few cloves from the total amount of garlic, cut into slivers and insert into small slits in the meat. Season both sides with salt and let stand for 15 minutes.
  3. Rub the lamb with the herb and spice mixture. Place in a roasting pan, cover with parchment paper and wrap tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
  4. Scrub the potatoes and make thin crosswise cuts without slicing through the bottoms. Cut the carrots into thick rounds or large chunks. Set aside 4–5 garlic cloves for the oil and halve the remaining intact heads crosswise.
  5. Mince the reserved garlic cloves. Mix with the remaining ½ cup olive oil, chopped thyme and salt to taste.
  6. Carefully unwrap the lamb, keeping the juices in the roasting pan. Arrange the potatoes, carrots and halved garlic heads around the meat, with the garlic cut sides up. Brush the vegetables with garlic oil, including between the potato slices.
  7. Roast uncovered at the same temperature for approximately 1 more hour, spooning pan juices over the meat and vegetables two or three times. Loosely cover the meat with foil if it browns too quickly. Check the lamb with a thermometer and cook the vegetables until tender.
  8. Let the cooked lamb rest for 15–20 minutes, loosely covered with foil. Serve on a platter with the vegetables and garlic. Garnish with chopped herbs and pomegranate seeds.

Notes

• Yield: 1 leg of lamb with vegetable sides. The number of servings depends on the size of the leg.
• The original recipe uses 1½ tablespoons salt on the lamb. Adjust the amount to the size of your leg of lamb and the type of salt you use, and account for any salt already in the seasoning blend. Salt the vegetables separately to taste.
• The recipe uses 1 cup olive oil in total: ½ cup for the lamb and ½ cup for the vegetables. Some oil remains in the pan.
• The six heads of garlic are the total for the dish. Take the cloves needed for stuffing the lamb and making the oil from this amount, then halve the remaining intact heads for roasting.
• The approximately 2½-hour oven time depends on the lamb’s size and the oven. Check doneness rather than relying on time alone.
• Measure the lamb in its thickest part without touching the bone. The minimum safe internal temperature for a whole lamb roast is 145°F (63°C), followed by at least a 3-minute rest. This minimum does not indicate fall-apart tenderness.
• If the lamb is ready first, remove it to rest and continue roasting the vegetables.