Categories: Beef
Ingredients
- 4.5 lb leg of lamb , bone in (or shoulder)
- Salt and pepper
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 whole garlic head , unpeeled, cut in half horizontally
- 1 onion , quartered (unpeeled is fine)
- 2 rosemary sprigs (2 = whisper of rosemary flavour, 4 sprigs = stronger flavour)
- 3 cups beef broth , low sodium
- 2 cups water
- Gravy:
- 4 tbsp flour (white)
- 1 cup water
- Salt and pepper , to taste
Directions
- reheat oven to 170C/335F (standard) or 150C/300F (fan/convection).
- Place garlic, onion and rosemary in a metal roasting pan.
- Place lamb leg right side up in the pan. (Note 2)
- Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and rub it in.
- Turn lamb over and place it so it mostly sits on the garlic and onion. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper, rub it in. (Video helpful here)
- Drizzle lamb with olive oil. Pour broth and water around the lamb – it won’t cover it, that’s ok, the lamb sinks into it. Cover with foil (don’t use a lid, you want a bit of liquid to steam out).
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Place in the oven and roast for 4.5 hours. (See Notes for roasting time table)
- Remove from the oven, remove foil. Turn lamb over. Check it to ensure the meat is tender (pry a bit off with a fork). If not, return, covered, to oven.
- Return uncovered lamb to oven for a further 45 minutes or until well browned.
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Remove lamb, spoon over pan juices generously. Transfer to serving platter, cover loosely with foil while you make the gravy (stays warm for 1 – 1.5 hours).
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Gravy:
- Use a large spoon to skim off some of the fat from the surface of the liquid.
- Place pan on the stove on medium high. When the liquid bubbles, add flour.
- Use a whisk to mix it in – this may take a few minutes as the liquid reduces.
- Once it looks like sludge (see video), whisk in 1/2 – 1 cup of water until it becomes a gravy consistency to your taste. Adjust salt and pepper to taste – I rarely add extra salt.
- Strain gravy into a bowl, pressing juices out of the onion etc.
- Pour gravy into jug.
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Serving:
- The meat is tender so you will only need tongs to tear the meat off. Serve with gravy.