Roasted Herbed Leg of Lamb {Arrosto di Agnello con Erbe} is the traditional meat for Easter in our Italian household. When we cook a leg of lamb, we try different seasonings but always come back to thyme, rosemary, sage and garlic. It’s our favorite.
The herbs, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper let the taste of the lamb shine through. Isn’t that what we want when we cook meat? In the end, the leg of lamb turns out moist and fork tender.
A light sprinkle of coarse sea salt over the succulent leg of lamb slices before serving is the perfect finish.
Leg of lamb an age old tradition
Although we like to experiment, we also believe in tradition. Roast lamb for Easter is a tradition that goes back to the first Passover of the Jewish people.
As some Hebrews converted to Christianity, they brought along their traditions and helped them spread. Throughout the ages, the Christians often referred to Jesus as The Lamb of God.
New traditions form with need
Now ham is more of a traditional Easter food in the United States. The reason being that in the early days there wasn’t refrigeration, so people slaughtered their hogs in the fall. The people preserved the fresh meat that they couldn’t consume during the winter months.
The curing process took a long time, and the first hams were ready around Easter. Ham, therefore, was the natural choice to celebrate Easter.
Preparing the boneless leg of lamb for roasting is simple. We take the meat out of the netting that holds it together.
How to prepare the herbed leg of lamb
We lay the lamb out, cut-side up, sprinkle the meat with kosher salt, pepper, then arrange half of the thyme, rosemary, and sage and all of the garlic on the roast.
Roll the meat around the herbs and tie it with twine, then salt and pepper the outside of the lamb.
How to roast the leg of lamb
We heat up the peanut oil in an ovenproof skillet or roasting pan over medium heat. Peanut oil is best because it has a high flash(smoke) point. Then brown the lamb on all sides, about 25 minutes.
Transfer the skillet to the heated oven.
After about 45 minutes, add the butter and remaining herb sprigs and continue to roast the lamb.
Baste the meat occasionally, for about 15 minutes.
Final Step for the leg of lamb
Once the lamb reaches an internal temperature of 125°F., remove it from the oven and loosely cover it with foil. Let the leg of lamb rest for about 10 minutes.
Slice it and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. It’s now ready to enjoy.
Buona Pasqua { Happy Easter}! There is a saying:
Avere una famiglia significa avere qualcuno da amare, avere una casa significa avere un posta dove andare, averle entrambe è una benedizione. {Having a family means having someone to love, having a house means having some place to go, having both is a blessing.}
Tutti a tavola è pronto!
Alla prossima
Roasted Herbed Leg of Lamb – Arrosto di Agnello con Erbe
The boneless meat is filled with garlic, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Then is it liberally sprinkled with freshly ground pepper and kosher salt. It is seared on all sides on top of the stove and finished in the oven.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 85
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 (5-pound) boneless leg of lamb
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 4 springs of fresh thyme
- 4 springs of fresh rosemary
- 4 springs of fresh sage
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 F. Lay the lamb out flat, cut-side up, on a clean surface. Sprinkle the meat with kosher salt and pepper, then arrange half of the thyme, rosemary, and sage and all of the garlic on the meat. Roll the meat around the herbs and tie with twine at 1 1/2-inch intervals.
- Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet or roasting pan over medium heat until it slides easily across the pan. Salt and pepper the outside of the lamb, then brown it on all sides, about 25 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven.
- Cook the lamb for about 45 minutes. Add the butter and remaining herb sprigs and continue cooking the lamb, basting occasionally, for about 15 minutes. (The lamb is medium rare when a thermometer inserted in the center indicates an internal temperature of 125 F.) Remove the lamb from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. Slice and serve sprinkled with coarse sea salt.
Notes
- Adapted from the recipe Roasted Herbed Leg of Lamb in “Think Like a Chef” by Tom Colicchio
Nutrition
- Calories: 4835
- Sugar: 0
- Sodium: 1857
- Fat: 231
- Saturated Fat: 85
- Unsaturated Fat: 118
- Trans Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 2
- Protein: 643
- Cholesterol: 2095
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