This roast is truly a show-stopper of a centerpiece for your holiday feast.
We don’t cook lamb often throughout the year, but when we do, we love to serve lamb lollipops, grilled marinated lamb chops, or a roast rack of lamb. But, there is truly something special about this roast. Impressive and deeply flavorful. Perfect holiday fare!
How To Make Boneless Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Herbs
Like many top-notch cuts of meat, there are not a lot of additional ingredients required to really make the dish sing.
Lamb does have a rich taste to it, however, and the fresh garlic along with the breadcrumb and herb crust balances the flavors perfectly.
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The Ingredients You Will Need
As mentioned, this recipe does not call for a huge array of ingredients.
Of course, the roast is the most important ingredient. We love Australian Boneless Leg of Lamb. If your local butcher doesn’t carry it, you can order a top-notch cut from D’Artagnan.
Here’s what you’ll need
Boneless leg of lamb – 4 to 6 lbs
Fresh garlic – Cut into slivers and then some minced
Herbs – Fresh, rosemary and parsley are the best
Breadcrumbs – Fresh or dried will work
Salt and pepper – For seasoning all over the roast
Oil – Olive oil or extra-virgin olive are good
Mustard – Dijon, Stone Ground, or yellow all work well
EXPERT TIP: A boneless leg of lamb will have a layer of fat on the top portion of the cut. Have your butcher trim it down to about ¼-inch. Slicing thin cuts all over the roast will allow you to insert the garlic slivers which will flavor the roast nicely.
Tips for Perfect Boneless Leg of Lamb
Seasoning – You’ll want to be sure to season the roast liberally with salt. Sprinkle salt all over the underside of the roast as well as the fat side. If you have a 5-lb roast, you’ll need 1 tsp of salt in the breadcrumb mixture. Serving the roast with coarse sea salt is essential.
Internal Temperature – Overcooking the lamb will yield a tough roast that is not very appealing. It is often served medium-rare, which creates a juicy, red interior. We like somewhere between medium and medium-rare, 140 to 145°F. A meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the roast will ensure the perfect temperature.
Let the Roast Rest – After roasting the lamb and you’ve reached the desired internal temperature, it’s important to allow the roast to rest in the pan (preferably on a rack) for 15 to 20 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute. You can even let the roast rest for up to an hour before serving, simply loosely tent it with foil. It will stay warm for at least an hour.
EXPERT TIP: Smearing mustard all over the roast adds some flavor to the roast, but primarily, it makes it easy to apply the breadcrumb and herb mixture to the exterior of the lamb.
How To Serve
We love to carve about ¾ of the roast into ½-inch slices before placing it on a festive platter. Surrounding the roast with fresh herbs and cranberries adds a beautiful and festive touch.
As mentioned, be sure to have plenty of finishing salt (ie, coarse sea salt) to pass at the table.
EXPERT TIP: If desired, you can make an au jus with the juices in the pan after roasting. While the roast is resting, spoon the fat from the surface. Add the dripping into a saucepan and add 1 cup of chicken stock/broth. Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired. While still heated, stir in 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and stir until melted. Serve tableside.
Other Holiday Roast Recipes to Try
The holiday season is the perfect time to go all out and serve a stunning roast. These are cuts of meat that you wouldn’t serve on a typical weeknight. They’re going to be more of an investment, both financially and, possibly effort.
But, when done right, it will be the centerpiece that will truly make this wonderful time of the year even more special.
Here are a few of our all-time favorites:
Standing Prime Rib Roast
Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce
Roast Rack of Lamb
Honey Bourbon Glazed Ham
Royal Crown Pork Roast
Herb-Stuffed Pork Loin
French Roast Chicken
Classic Roast Turkey
If you’re lucky enough to be hosting a large dinner party, consider serving two or three different types of roast. It will take some planning, and obviously will be more of an investment, but giving guests options, or more to enjoy, if fun and so impressive.
In the meantime, isn’t this roast just gorgeous? And don’t forget the coarse sea salt to accompany the roast at the table!
We just can’t rave enough about this stunning roast.
Roast leg of lamb is a wonderful alternative to other standard holiday roasts.
Be sure to check with your local butcher, or order ahead of time online. If frozen, you’ll need about 4 days to allow the roast to thaw in the refrigerator.
Roast perfection!
Ready to take your holiday feast to the next level? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Boneless Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Herbs
Equipment
- Roasting pan with rack
Ingredients
- 1 5 lb leg of lamb boneless, fat cut to ¼-inch
- 4 cloves garlic 3 thinly sliced and 1 minced
- ¼ cup rosemary chopped
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- 1 cup breadcrumbs plain, dried
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Open up the leg of lamb and liberally sprinkle salt and pepper. Use kitchen twine to tie the roast into a cylinder, spacing each tied piece of string about 2 inches apart.1 5 lb leg of lamb, Kosher salt and black pepper
- Use a sharp paring knife to cut slices all over the roast, each about 1 inch deep. Insert the garlic slivers into the slits.4 cloves garlic
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, rosemary, parsley, minced garlic (1 clove), 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper.¼ cup rosemary, 1 cup breadcrumbs, ¼ cup parsley
- Brush the roast all over with the olive oil. Then smear the mustard all over the top of the oil (clean hands work best for this step).2 tbsp olive oil, 4 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Press the herbed breadcrumb mixture into the prepared roast all over.
- Pour enough water into the roasting pan so it reaches about half an inch up the sides. Place the rack in the pan and then place the roast on the rack, fat side up.
- Roast for 15 minutes, and then lower the oven temperature to 350°F. Roast until a thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the roast read 135°F for medium rare, or 145°F for medium.
- Remove from the oven and allow the roast to rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Cut the strings from the roast and carve. Serve immediately.
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