Originally posted on April 3, 2017
I love lamb. Like, I really love lamb. I try to buy it whenever I can when the husband isn’t here for dinner (he does not share my love of the lamb), but I always end up making it the same way. Lemon, garlic, rosemary – same way, every time. I’m just so scared of screwing it up! But this time, I wanted to do something a little different.
So I went with a leg instead of the lamb chops I usually go for; but I couldn’t bring myself to slather it in a curry rub or do something else that could possibly ruin the perfect piece of meat I’d just bought. I love it so much – what if I wrecked it? But, I still also really wanted to do something I hadn’t done before.
Then I thought, mint sauce. Why don’t I roast my leg of lamb with the same seasonings I usually do, but add a mint sauce that I already know goes so classically well with lamb? It was a good thought, but I can’t bring myself to add dollops of jelly to my dinner, either. So I grabbed a handful of mint, and turned it into a mint sauce reminiscent of chimichurri.
It gave me and the girls a different way to enjoy our lamb, it was one we all loved, and now I can say with confidence that mint really is a great accompaniment to lamb!
Ingredients:
- 1 leg of lamb, between 4 and 5 pounds
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the mint sauce:
- 1 bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.) Combine the garlic, rosemary, and lemon zest and rub all over the lamb. Drizzle generously with olive oil, transfer to a roasting rack and place in the hot oven.
3.) Roast the leg of lamb for 15 minutes then, without opening the oven door, turn the heat down to 350 degrees. Roast for another hour for medium to medium-rare, or another hour and 30 minutes for well done.
4.) Remove the lamb from the oven, tent with foil, and allow to rest for 10 – 15 minutes.
5.) While the lamb is resting, making the mint sauce by combining all of the ingredients and mixing very well.
6.) Carve the roast into slices and arrange on a platter. Drizzle the mint sauce over top.
7.) Serve and enjoy!