Active Time

　　15 minutes

　　Total Time

　　2 hours 30 minutes

　　A good roast leg of lamb recipe should be simple and impressive—something you can serve to guests on Easter or Passover that’s equally easy for a special Sunday dinner. This version, flavored modestly with garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper and finished with an easy red wine pan sauce, is just that. (It also has hundreds of reviews from cooks who say it works well, even if you’re new to cooking lamb.) You don’t have to sear it or worry over a fussy marinade—and the hands-on time is just about 15 minutes.

　　The recipe calls for a semi-boneless leg, which means the shank and blade bones have been removed, but the leg bone, which adds rich flavor, is still in the roast. This helps hold the roast together while making the meat easier to carve than a fully bone-in leg of lamb. It also cuts down on cooking time. The cut has a relatively uniform shape, so it’s easy to roast to your desired doneness; if you insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part, the rest of the leg will be fairly close to that same temperature. To serve, transfer the lamb to a platter and tuck some fresh, fragrant oregano or rosemary sprigs around the roast for a pretty but easy presentation, and pour a sauce made from the drippings into a small bowl for guests to spoon over individual slices.

　　If a bone-in whole leg of lamb is more than you’re prepared to deal with, consider a butterflied boneless roast, succulent rack of lamb with an herb crust, or grilled lamb chops with polenta.

　　

Ingredients

8 servings

　　1 (7-lb.) semi-boneless leg of lamb, aitchbone removed, fat trimmed to ¼" thick, and lamb tied

　　4 garlic cloves

　　1 Tbsp. fine sea salt

　　2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

　　½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more

　　Neutral or extra-virgin olive oil, for pan

　　¼ cup dry red wine (such as Zinfandel, Sangiovese, or Cabernet Sauvignon) or broth

　　Kosher salt

　　

Step 1

Pat one (7-lb.) semi-boneless leg of lamb, aitchbone removed, fat trimmed to ¼" thick, and lamb tied, dry and score fat by making shallow cuts all over with the tip of a sharp small knife.

　　

Step 2

Pound 4 garlic cloves to a paste with 1 Tbsp. fine sea salt using a mortar and pestle (or finely chop and mash with a heavy knife) and stir together with 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary and ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Put lamb in a lightly oiled roasting pan, then rub paste all over lamb. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Place a rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 350°. Roast lamb until an instant-read thermometer inserted 2" into thickest part of meat (do not touch bone) registers 130°, 1½–1¾ hours. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 15–25 minutes (internal temperature will rise to about 140° for medium-rare).

　　

Step 4

Add ¼ cup dry red wine or broth to pan and deglaze by boiling over medium-high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Season pan juices with kosher salt and pepper and serve with lamb.

　　Editor's note: This leg of lamb recipe was first printed in the April 2001 issue of ‘Gourmet.’ Head this way for more of our best Easter dinner ideas →