Whole Leg of Lamb with New Red Potatoes
This is an easy lamb recipe that you can make for Easter Dinner or any other occasion.
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Using a 9 X 13 baking pan with a rack, place lamb upside down on the rack. You want to cook the lamb with the fatty side up, so make sure you start with the other side in this step.
Using a sharp knife, poke holes into the meat and fat, making sure the holes are deep.
Slice enough whole cloves of garlic in half to fill the holes.
Push one 1/2 slice of garlic into each hole.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Turn lamb over.
Repeat steps 3-6.
Place pan in oven and pour 1/2 cup of water into the bottom of the pan.
Cook the lamb for 20 minutes at 450 degrees. This will sear the meat, helping to keep the juices in and the meat tender and moist.
After 20 minutes, turn heat down to 400 degrees and cover with aluminum foil.
Continue to cook for an hour.
While the lamb is cooking, clean and half the red potatoes.
After the hour, remove the pan from the oven.
Uncover the lamb and remove it from the pan.
There should be an inch or so of juice on the bottom of the pan. If there is not, add enough water to have an inch.
Place the potatoes cut side down in the juice.
Place lamb back into the pan directly on top of the potatoes.
Recover the lamb and return to the oven.
Cook for an additional 1 hour to 1-1/2 hours, until the meat is cooked to you liking.
When done, remove from the pan and slice the lamb. When slicing, be sure to include all the garlic and serve it with the lamb.
Additional Notes
Leg of lamb was a staple at Easter in my family. My mom would cook a whole leg of lamb and serve it with new red potatoes, small peas, baby onions in celery soup, and fresh bread. She would also serve mint jelly with the lamb. When I married a man from Syria, he was appalled that we would pollute lamb with anything other than garlic oil. So it is up to your taste whether you find a mint jelly and serve that, so if you stick to the Syrian tradition of just garlic oil. Being in the middle, I have learned to enjoy lamb both ways. Either way, when fully cooked, the lamb will be tender, juicy and full of flavor.
Here is something my husband loves to do with the leftover leg. Once most of the meat has been cut off the leg, put the leg into the oven and crisp the remaining meat and fat. Salt the meat to taste and use pita bread to pull it off the bone, until the bone is bare.
