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Spiced roast lamb

One of the most popular roasts is the lamb leg or shoulder, particularly at Easter time. The traditional version is cooked with a rosemary-garlic combo, sometimes supplemented with anchovies. If you like your food to have a bit more kick to it or just want something different, try out this recipe! This spiced roast lamb is very easy to make - actually, the oven does most of the work!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Cuisine: British
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5 kg leg or shoulder of lamb
  • 1 red chilli
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 4 sprigs of rosemary
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 250 ml white wine
  • Water

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
  2. Deseed the chilli, remove its vein and chop finely. Peel the garlic and chop up finely. Chop the rosemary leaves.
  3. Using a pestle & mortar crush the garlic, chilli, two-thirds of the rosemary and fennel seeds together until you get a paste. Season to taste with coarse salt and ground pepper. Crush again.
  4. Use a sharp knife to make small incisions all over the meat. Rub with the oil and some salt then the paste, massaging it into the slots with your fingers.
  5. Sprinkle with the remaining rosemary and place the lamb on a rack over a baking tray.
  6. Cook for 20 minutes in the oven then lower the temperature to 190°C. Pour the wine into the baking tray with some added water (underneath the lamb). Roast for about 90 minutes depending on how well cooked you like your lamb. During cooking regularly baste the meat with the sauce and add more water if needed!
  7. When the lamb is cooked to your liking, remove it from the oven, cover and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.