Name: Oven-Roasted Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 170 min
Total time: 935 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1.6 kg bone-in leg of lamb; 4 tbsp olive oil; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 sprigs rosemary, needles picked; 5 sprigs thyme, leaves picked; 1 tbsp salt (for seasoning the lamb and potatoes); freshly ground pepper; 2 tbsp olive oil (for searing); 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 1 small onion, halved; 2 sprigs rosemary, whole; 2 sprigs thyme, whole; 500 ml strong meat stock (half at the start and half after one hour); 2 carrots, in pieces (add after one hour); 1 slice celeriac (add after one hour); 400 g chopped tomatoes (1 can); 800 g potatoes, in thick slices; 2 tsp dried oregano

Preparation

The day before, mix the onion, garlic, rosemary needles and thyme leaves with 4 tbsp olive oil, rub the leg of lamb all over with it and leave covered in the fridge overnight.
Preheat the oven to 175 °C conventional (top and bottom heat). Season the leg generously with salt and pepper and sear it all over in the hot olive oil in a roasting pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Add the crushed garlic, the halved onion and 2 sprigs each of rosemary and thyme to the meat, pour in half of the stock, put the lid on and braise in the oven for about 1 hour.
Add the carrots, celeriac and the remaining stock and cook, covered, for another hour.
Then add the chopped tomatoes to the cooking juices, arrange the potato slices around the leg, salt them, sprinkle with oregano and continue cooking uncovered at 180 °C until the potatoes are tender and the meat reaches a core temperature of 70 °C; baste with the juices from time to time.
Remove the leg and rest it for 10 minutes, keeping the potatoes warm. Pass the cooking juices through a sieve, bring to the boil once more and season to taste.
Carve the meat off the bone, slice it and serve with the potatoes and juices.

Drink with it

Red wine · excellent match
Rioja Reserva or Bordeaux
Mature tannins and oak notes stand up to the rich lamb fat, and the spice of the wine picks up rosemary and thyme.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing
Red wine · excellent match
Syrah or Blaufränkisch, at 16-18 °C
Peppery spice and dark fruit suit the tomato-laced cooking juices and the herbs.
Rosé · good match
Full-bodied rosé from the south of France
Fruit and acidity carry the tomato potatoes and stay fresh alongside the meat.
Dark beer · good match
Dark lager or Bock beer, cellar-cool
Malty roasted notes meet the browned crust and the cooking juices, and the carbonation clears lamb fat from the palate.
Which beer goes with food? More than just pils with barbecue
Smoky whisky · good match
Islay single malt, neat with a splash of water, after the meal
Smoke and saltiness play with the resinous rosemary and the roasted note of the lamb; the water takes the edge off the alcohol.
Why Does Whisky Taste Smoky? Peat, Simply Explained

Preparation

The day before, mix the onion, garlic, rosemary needles and thyme leaves with 4 tbsp olive oil, rub the leg of lamb all over with it and leave covered in the fridge overnight.
Preheat the oven to 175 °C conventional (top and bottom heat). Season the leg generously with salt and pepper and sear it all over in the hot olive oil in a roasting pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Add the crushed garlic, the halved onion and 2 sprigs each of rosemary and thyme to the meat, pour in half of the stock, put the lid on and braise in the oven for about 1 hour.
Add the carrots, celeriac and the remaining stock and cook, covered, for another hour.
Then add the chopped tomatoes to the cooking juices, arrange the potato slices around the leg, salt them, sprinkle with oregano and continue cooking uncovered at 180 °C until the potatoes are tender and the meat reaches a core temperature of 70 °C; baste with the juices from time to time.
Remove the leg and rest it for 10 minutes, keeping the potatoes warm. Pass the cooking juices through a sieve, bring to the boil once more and season to taste.
Carve the meat off the bone, slice it and serve with the potatoes and juices.

Drink with it

Red wine · excellent match
Rioja Reserva or Bordeaux
Mature tannins and oak notes stand up to the rich lamb fat, and the spice of the wine picks up rosemary and thyme.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing
Red wine · excellent match
Syrah or Blaufränkisch, at 16-18 °C
Peppery spice and dark fruit suit the tomato-laced cooking juices and the herbs.
Rosé · good match
Full-bodied rosé from the south of France
Fruit and acidity carry the tomato potatoes and stay fresh alongside the meat.
Dark beer · good match
Dark lager or Bock beer, cellar-cool
Malty roasted notes meet the browned crust and the cooking juices, and the carbonation clears lamb fat from the palate.
Which beer goes with food? More than just pils with barbecue
Smoky whisky · good match
Islay single malt, neat with a splash of water, after the meal
Smoke and saltiness play with the resinous rosemary and the roasted note of the lamb; the water takes the edge off the alcohol.
Why Does Whisky Taste Smoky? Peat, Simply Explained

Oven-Roasted Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic

Preparation

Drink with it

Rioja Reserva or Bordeaux

Syrah or Blaufränkisch, at 16-18 °C

Full-bodied rosé from the south of France

Dark lager or Bock beer, cellar-cool

Islay single malt, neat with a splash of water, after the meal

This pairs well too.

Albóndigas in Tomato Sauce (Spanish meatballs)

Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce

Beef Fillet with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Beef Rouladen

Oven-Roasted Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic

Preparation

Drink with it

Rioja Reserva or Bordeaux

Syrah or Blaufränkisch, at 16-18 °C

Full-bodied rosé from the south of France

Dark lager or Bock beer, cellar-cool

Islay single malt, neat with a splash of water, after the meal

This pairs well too.

Albóndigas in Tomato Sauce (Spanish meatballs)

Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce

Beef Fillet with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Beef Rouladen