Lamb is tasting great right now and even better when cooked using this recipe (if I do say so myself!!). This easy carve lamb leg gives you the best of both worlds with a quicker cooking time and the added flavour coming from the bone. Oh, and did I mention it's easy to carve too.
With Christmas just around the corner, I decided to do up a good lamb recipe. Well, I really did the recipe because we love eating lamb here in AnotherFoodBloggers house but also because as an alternative to Turkey, some people like to eat lamb on Christmas day - my wife being one of them! Her family would always have a roast lamb on the table. None of them were super keen on Turkey. So here is my version of the lamb we will be eating over the holiday period.
In case you all hadn't realised from previous posts we are living abroad in Australia these days. So the holidays can get a little lonely. Luckily though, my wife has a little time off work, and our daughter is old enough to understand Christmas now. Coupled with the fact I like to cook, our plan is to sit around in the INSANE Brisbane heat - which is weird AF for Christmas, drink a "responsible" amount of great Tassie sparkling. Oh and naturally eat some delish food and get a Christmas swim in too. Our Weber will be on, and some tasty, easy carve lamb leg will be bbqing away. Hoping it will be ready just in time for when the 3rd glass of bubbly hits the belly, and we want food.
Having a well-stocked pantry and spice drawer comes in real handy with this one. Everything used to make the lamb, except the lamb itself was already present in our house. First, it started with some top quality oil, and here I looked no further than delish Squeaky Gate - a great Australian olive oil that's both affordable for every household AND packed with enough flavour for even the most discerning palate to enjoy too. So I grabbed as many spices as I could carry, some fresh herbs, and whipped up a cracking marinade. And, I set to marinating the lamb overnight. The next day I fired up my Weber (can be done in the oven if you aren't lucky enough to own a Weber) and cooked this baby in just a little over 1hr.
What I would drink with this!
What to drink at the end of a long day OR halfway through a Sunday afternoon is always the question! Well, my top tip for this insanely good lamb leg is Cheshire Cat Shiraz from St Johns Road, Barossa brought to you by Wine Direct. This wine is a collab with St Johns Road and Wine Direct. Which means you can only get this wine by clicking the link! It's a 2018 Shiraz, so initially, you would be weary thinking it's gonna be big and needs time before opening. But it's a CRACKER. Deliciously fruity with blackberry & blackcurrant coming through, a touch of oak and vanilla on both nose and palate. The tannins are present and smooth. It's drinking great now but can definitely be put away for the next 5 years or so.
At $55 a bottle, this wine is 100% worth it. Get yourself a bottle and enjoy it with family and friends.
Hoping you all have a great Christmas and if Turkey ain't your thing, then give this easy carve lamb recipe a go. It will comfortably serve a family of 4 with the usual too many sides on the Christmas table. Assuming, that is you are like my folks!
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg easy carve lamb leg
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp spicy paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp rosemary chopped
- 1 tsp thyme chopped
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 4 tbsp Squeaky Gate ‘all rounder’ olive oil
Basting Liquid
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 2 tbsp Squeaky Gate ‘all rounder’ olive oil
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp honey
- salt
- pepper
Dressing Liquid
- 1 tbsp Squeaky Gate ‘all rounder’ olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife score the lamb in multiple places.
- Mix all the rub ingredients together and rub into the lamb.
- Leave lamb covered in the fridge for minimum of 1 hour but overnight if possible.
- Heat BBQ or oven to 180c and cook lamb covered gently in foil for 30 mins on indirect heat if using BBQ.
- After 30 mins uncover the lamb and cook for a further 30 mins basting twice during this time.
- Once lamb is cooked to an internal temperature of 54c (for medium rare) remove from the BBQ and recover gently with foil and allow to rest for 10 mins.
- Once rested, baste it with the dressing and serve.
- I would serve this with a nice green salad and maybe some grilled asparagus.
Notes
Essential Tools
- mixing bowl x 3
- measuring spoon
- chopping board
- baking tray
- pastry brush for basting
- tin foil
- thermometer
Tips/Tricks
- the longer you leave the lamb marinate the more it will absorb the flavours so try rub it a day in advance
- i cook my lamb mr but if you like it cooked more then cook it for a few mins longer. A general rule when cooking lamb is 20-25 mins per 500g for rare and 25-30 mins for medium - medium rare
- don't forget to let your meat rest, one of the most important things when cooking meat
- if cooking on a BBQ then make sure you cook using indirect heat, this means lighting one side of the BBQ and placing meat on the opposite side
Nutrition
mouth watering and very tasty. Marinated for 24 hours as suggested.
Enjoyed in the Brisbane humidity (Redlands City)with a 21 year old Henschke, Ketneton Estate from the Barossa (yes I was spoilt). This is the first of your recipes I have tried, there will be more.
Thanks John - sounds like a great night was had. Any pics?