Spring Roast Leg of Lamb Recipe

If you haven’t cooked a leg of lamb before, now is the perfect time to start. This spring roast leg of lamb recipe is a classic Sunday and Easter lunch staple, but who said you can’t be enjoy it on any other day? Time to use up your leftovers in the fridge and pantry, and cook this stunning dish at home.

This roasted leg of lamb recipe is impressive enough as a tender meat. But with the spiced chickpeas and orange salad? It’s simply irresistible.

Equipment

• Le Creuset Toughened Non-Stick Shallow Frying Pan
• Turner (for searing and flipping lamb)
• Le Creuset Cast Iron Signature Roaster 33cm
• Le Creuset Oven Mitt
• Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

For the lamb

• 1.5kg leg of lamb
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp chermoula spice
• 6 garlic cloves
• Juice and zest of 1 to 2 lemons
• 1 to 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 sprigs rosemary
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chickpeas

• 1 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 x 400g canned chickpeas, drained
• ½ tsp smoked Spanish paprika
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

For the salad

• Micro herbs
• 2 fennel bulbs, shaved
• 4 oranges, segmented
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Red wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (160C for fan oven).
2. Sear the lamb in a hot non-stick pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown to seal the meat. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Combine the remaining olive oil and chermoula spice to make a loose paste, rub all over the lamb and lightly season. Arrange in your Le Creuset roaster, along with the garlic in their skins, the juice and zest of lemons, stock and rosemary. Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours or until lamb is cooked through to your preference. Remove the lamb from the oven and set aside to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
4. For the chickpeas, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in your pan. Add the garlic slices and fry until fragrant and golden. Toss in the chickpeas and remove from the heat. Sprinkle in the smoked Spanish paprika and toss to coat the chickpeas evenly, season with salt and pepper to taste, followed by a squeeze of lemon juice. Add to the lamb roast while it rests.
5. Serve with a salad of micro herbs, crunchy fennel shavings and vibrant orange segments. Drizzle with olive oil and add a splash of red wine vinegar.

Recipe and images were adapted from Le Creuset.