Slow-Roasted Boneless Italian Leg of Lamb with Potatoes
Forget complicated techniques. Rosemary, lemon, garlic, and one slow roast create restaurant-level lamb at home without any stress or mystery.
Ingredients
For the Lamb and Marinade
- 1 boneless leg of lamb usually 4-5 pounds
- ¼ cup rosemary leaves then finely chopped
- 12 sage leaves finely chopped
- Zest of 3 large lemons
- 1 ounce dry white wine
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 large onion sliced into ¼” rings
For the Roasting Pan Liquid
- ½ cup dry white wine
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 heads whole garlic tops sliced off
- 16 baby small or fingerling potatoes, halved
For Garnish
- Parsley for garnish, optional
- Mint and Cilantro Yogurt Sauce optional
Instructions
Prepare The Lamb
- Trim the lamb of excess fat, removing most of the fat cap. Place the lamb in a roasting pan (not on a rack) and set aside.1 boneless leg of lamb
Marinate The Lamb Overnight
- Combine the rosemary, sage, lemon zest, white wine, minced garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix thoroughly so you have a paste-like marinade. Rub the marinade over the lamb on all sides and return to the roasting pan. Place the lamb in the refrigerator overnight.¼ cup rosemary leaves, 12 sage leaves, Zest of 3 large lemons, 1 ounce dry white wine, 8 garlic cloves, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper
Roast The Lamb And Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking so it can warm up slightly. Lift the lamb up and place the sliced onions down in the bottom of the pan and place the lamb on top of the onions. To the pan add the roasting pan liquid consisting of the wine, lemon juice, butter along with the halved potatoes.1 large onion, ½ cup dry white wine, Juice of ½ lemon, 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 16 baby
- Place the roasting pan with the lamb in the preheated oven, uncovered, and roast until the internal temperature reaches 135°F. Generally, this should take about 2.5 hours but start temping the roast around 2 hours. Once the thickest part of the roast reaches 135°, remove the pan from the oven, remove the lamb to a cutting board and tent it with foil.
- The potatoes, garlic heads, and onions can be removed to a bowl and covered tightly with foil also. The lamb should rest at least 10 minutes while you make the sauce.
Finish The Sauce
- You can strain the sauce, salt to taste and serve it as is without doing anything additional if you'd like, but if you want a slightly more elevated sauce option, we recommend reducing it slightly as follows.
- Strain the liquid into a skillet and start reducing over medium-high heat. Once reduced by about ⅓ to half, taste. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, a little sugar if the sauce tastes too bitter, or a little vinegar if it tastes too flat. You can also whisk in a tablespoon or two of butter off the heat if desired to add some richness. Slice the juicy lamb and serve with the potatoes, onions, and some sauce. Garnish with finely chopped parsley if desired.Parsley
Notes
Substitutions:
- Herb swaps: If you can't find fresh sage, use thyme or oregano instead. Fresh rosemary is harder to replace since it's so distinct, but fresh thyme plus a little fennel seed gets you close to that Mediterranean vibe.
- Different cuts: Bone-in leg of lamb works too, but you'll need to add 30 to 45 minutes to the roast time and the carving gets trickier. Lamb shoulder is fattier and more forgiving if you're nervous about overcooking, but it takes closer to 3.5 hours.
- Swap the potatoes: Carrots, parsnips, turnips, winter squash or fennel bulbs all roast beautifully in the same pan. Cut them into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly. If you use root vegetables, toss them in a little olive oil first so they don't stick.
- Make it spicy: Add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the marinade and a pinch of smoked paprika. Serve with a yogurt sauce spiked with harissa.
- How to store leftover leg of lamb:
- Let the lamb cool completely, then wrap it tightly in foil or transfer it to an airtight container. It'll keep for up to four days. Store the potatoes and sauce separately so they don't get soggy.
- How to reheat leftover leg of lamb:
- For the lamb, bring it to room temp first, then warm it gently in a 300°F oven covered with foil. Add a splash of stock or water to the pan to keep it moist. It'll take about 15-20 minutes. For the potatoes, reheat them in a hot skillet with a little olive oil to crisp them back up. The sauce reheats beautifully on the stovetop over low heat. Whisk in a little butter and the sauce will be perfect.
- Can you freeze the leftover leg of lamb?
- Yes! Slice the lamb first, then wrap individual portions in plastic wrap and foil or a freezer safe zip top bag. Freeze for up to three months. The texture won't be quite as tender after freezing, but it's still going to taste good. The potatoes don’t freeze well so best to roast a fresh batch of potatoes if you want to enjoy those with the lamb.
- Salt the night before, not the day of. Overnight salting is basically dry-brining. It seasons deep into the muscle and helps the lamb retain moisture during the roast. If you salt it an hour before cooking, it just pulls moisture to the surface and you end up steaming instead of roasting.
- Let the marinade come to room temp before rubbing. Cold oil doesn't spread as well. Let the bowl sit out for 10 minutes after you mix it so the olive oil loosens up. You'll get better coverage and the herbs will stick instead of sliding off.
- Don't skip the resting step. Those 10 minutes are important to get the lamb to the perfect temperature.
- Score the fat cap before marinating. If your lamb still has a layer of fat, score it in a crosshatch pattern before applying the marinade. This helps the seasonings penetrate and lets some of the fat render during roasting.
Nutrition
Calories: 333kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 31gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 1837mgPotassium: 539mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 314IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 3mg
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