AI-generated image
Karoo roast leg of lamb
Karoo lamsboud: bone-in leg of lamb studded with garlic and rosemary and roasted slowly
Sheep in the Great Karoo graze on wild bossies and shrubs, and farmers around Prince Albert and Graaff-Reinet swear the meat comes out of the oven tasting faintly of the veld. That is why the seasoning stays plain: garlic slivers pushed deep into the meat, rosemary, salt and pepper, and a long, slow roast over a bed of onions that melt into the pan juices. Sunday lunch on a farm stoep means slices of rosy lamb with roast potatoes, sweet pumpkin with cinnamon, geelrys with raisins and a jug of gravy. Many cooks carve the moment the leg leaves the oven, and the juices end up on the board instead of in the meat. Chef's tip: give the leg a full 20 minutes' rest under foil; the temperature climbs a few degrees and every slice stays moist.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 4 ⅞ lb bone-in leg of lambat room temperature for 30 minutes
- 6 garlic clovescut into slivers
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp coarse salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 onionsthickly sliced
- 1 ¼ cups water
For the gravy
- 1 tbsp cornflourmaize starch
- 2 tbsp cold water
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan). Pat 4 ⅞ lb bone-in leg of lamb dry and make about 20 deep slits all over it with a small sharp knife.
Step 2: Push a sliver of 6 garlic cloves and a few needles pulled from 2 fresh rosemary sprigs into each slit, right down so they don't burn on the surface.
Step 3: Rub the leg all over with 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp coarse salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper.
Step 4: Spread 3 onions in a roasting tin, lay the rest of 2 fresh rosemary sprigs on top and set the lamb on them. Pour 1 ¼ cups water into the tin around, not over, the meat.
Step 5: Roast until the outside starts to brown and sizzle.
20 minStep 6: Lower the oven to 325°F (275°F fan) and roast, basting with the pan juices every 30 minutes and adding a splash of water if the onions start to catch. Start checking after 1 hour 30 minutes: a thermometer in the thickest part away from the bone should read 145°F for pink, or 158°F for just done.
110 minStep 7: Lift the lamb onto a board, cover loosely with foil and rest until the juices settle.
20 minStep 8: Meanwhile, tip the tin juices and onions into a small pan and skim off most of the fat. Mix 1 tbsp cornflour with 2 tbsp cold water, whisk it into the juices and simmer over a medium heat until the gravy turns glossy and coats a spoon. Add any juices from the resting board.
4 minStep 9: Carve the lamb across the grain into thick slices and serve with the onion gravy.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does karoo roast leg of lamb take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 160 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of ground black pepper?
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek
Pfälzer SaumagenStuffed pig's stomach
Saumagen is the pride of the Palatinate, served at wine-village festivals and family dinners from the Haardt hills to Ludwigshafen. A cleaned pig's stomach is stuffed with diced pork shoulder, pork sausage meat, potato and carrot seasoned with marjoram and nutmeg, poached slowly, then sliced thick and fried until crusty. The stomach works only as a casing and is ordered from a butcher; if you can't get one, bake the same filling in a covered terrine in a water bath. Serve with sauerkraut and mashed potato. Chef's tip: fill the stomach only three-quarters full, or it bursts as the potatoes swell.
German
Chha goshtLamb in buttermilk gravy
Up in the hill villages of Himachal Pradesh, where flocks are walked to summer pastures, lamb is often cooked in chhaachh, the thin buttermilk left after churning butter. Thickened with a spoonful of gram flour, it makes a pale, gently sour gravy that is milder and lighter than the red curries of the plains, and it is a favourite at dhams, the festive meals of the Kangra and Chamba valleys. Serve it with steamed rice or makki ki roti. Chef's tip: whisk the gram flour into the buttermilk until there are no lumps before it goes near the pot; once it hits the heat, any lumps stay lumps.
Indian