Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb with Potatoes, Garlic and Rosemary

A leg of lamb seems fancy, but is one of the simplest cuts of meat to prepare; it requires a long, slow cooking time, which allows the tough connective tissues in the meat to break down, making it meltingly tender yet more flavourful than more expensive cuts. It requires hardly any actual work. The oven or slow cooker does it all for you while you’re doing other things. If it seems pricey, remember that a leg of lamb will most likely produce two delicious meals. (If you don’t want soup, serve leftovers in soft pitas with chopped lettuce and tomato and a generous drizzle of tzatziki.)


INGREDIENTS:

canola or olive oil, for cooking
1  bone-in leg of lamb
4-5  Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
salt
a few sprigs of rosemary
1 cup (250 ml) beef or chicken stock


DIRECTIONS:

1. Drizzle the lamb with oil and rub it all over with your fingers or a pastry brush. Brown it on all sides in a large, heavy skillet or throw it on the grill until golden on all sides.

2. Meanwhile, toss all the potatoes and about half the garlic cloves into the bottom of a large roasting pan or your slow cooker.

3. Put the lamb on top of the potatoes, squish a few more cloves of garlic and rub them over the surface, then sprinkle with salt. Toss in a few sprigs of rosemary and pour the stock in around the potatoes. Cover (if the bone sticks out, cover the lid with foil to seal) and cook in a 300˚F oven for 21/2–3 hours or on low in the slow cooker for 6–8 hours.

4.  Serve the lamb alongside the potatoes. Serves 4–6, with plenty of leftovers.


PER SERVING (prepared with 2 tsp. canola oil, based on 10 servings):

349 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat, 0.8 g polyunsaturated fat, 3.3 g monounsaturated fat), 116 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates, 116 mg
cholesterol, 41 g fibre.


WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEFTOVERS?

Lamb, Lentil & Barley Soup

Toss any leftover meat, scraped off the bone and chopped, back into the slow cooker or roasting pan along with any leftover potatoes.
Add 1 L beef or chicken stock, 1 chopped carrot and 1/3 cup each dried barley and lentils. Cover and cook on low in the slow cooker for 3-4 hours or place on the stovetop and bring to a simmer; cook for 45 minutes, or until the lentils and barley are tender.