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leg of lamb
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5 from 41 votes

Leg Of Lamb with Fresh Mint Sauce

Roast Leg of Lamb (adapted from Foods of the World, The Cooking of the British Isle)
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Entree
Cuisine: British
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 285kcal
Author: Cynthia

Ingredients

Roast Leg of Lamb:

  • Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees F.
  • 5 pound Lamb (boneless leg), this one was just over 5 pounds.
  • 3 Tablespoons kosher salt
  • 3-4 Rosemary sprigs, finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 3-4 cloves garlic peeled, and sliced into thin slivers

Mint Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2-4 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped and packed
  • 1 cup malt vinegar (wine or cider vinegar won’t give the same flavor)
  • pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

Leg of Lamb:

  • Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees F. Adjust oven racks so that lamb will roast on the bottom third of your oven. 
  • For faster cooking, bring meat to room temperature. Mix salt, rosemary and pepper in a small bowl. This is important because you don't want cross-contamination. 
  • With a long, thin knife, make several deep cuts into the roast. Put a sliver of garlic into each cut. Coat all sides of meat with rosemary/salt rub. (discard any un-used herb rub)
  • Roast lamb, fat side up, at 500 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 375 degrees and continue roasting until internal temperature reaches the proper temperature to your liking. For medium rare, remove at 135 degrees F. (It will continue cooking after you remove it from the oven another 10-15 degrees)
  • If you prefer yours rare, pull at 130*, for medium, pull at 145*. 
  • This lamb was pulled at 140 for medium rare. 

Fresh Mint Sauce:

  • Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring just until the sugar dissolves completely.
  • Remove pan from heat and stir in the mint leaves and vinegar. Taste and add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter sauce.
  • Set aside at room temperature for 2-3 hours.

Notes

  • Figure on 6-8 ounces of meat per person for a boneless leg of lamb.
  • Remove lamb from the oven an hour before roasting.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 1874mg | Potassium: 541mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 82IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 4mg