A baked leg of lamb can be an excellent option for a festive meat dish. This is a hearty, easy-to-eat dish.
In order to prepare a leg of lamb you will need: Leg of lamb - 2 kg, juniper, black pepper (peas), "Provencal herbs" (ready mix), garlic - 5 - 10 teeth, olive oil - 3-4 tbsp. spoons, coarse sea salt, fresh rosemary
Garnish: Potatoes
• Start by preparing the seasonings: chop the herbs with a mortar or coffee grinder, add the cloves of finely chopped garlic, chopped rosemary, and olive oil.
• Cut off excess fat from the leg of lamb, leaving a thin layer. Never cut off the film, it ensures the juiciness of the finished meat. Next, rub the meat on all sides with spices and olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt on top. Wrap the treated leg in food foil and put it in the refrigerator (for at least a few hours, ideally overnight).
• Pickled meat should be removed from the refrigerator a couple of hours before baking. Unfold the leg of lamb. Place it on the wire rack so that the inside of the leg is at the top. Preheat the oven to 230 degrees. Be sure to place the baking sheet under the wire shelf. Fat and juice will drain into it. Pour some hot water into a baking sheet, add white wine if desired.
• Bake the leg of lamb for 10 minutes. Turn over to the other side and bake for another 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180 degrees.
• While the leg of lamb is baking, prepare the potatoes for a side dish. Peel the potatoes, put them in boiling water and cook for no more than 2-3 minutes. Place it on the baking sheet under your lamb wire rack. This is done to soak the potatoes in the fat that drips off the meat. Be sure to sprinkle the potatoes with dry herbs, do not forget to salt. You can also add some fresh rosemary for a spicy scent. Soaked in lamb fat, the potatoes will be crumbly and extremely tasty.
• You just have to not miss the time when the meat is ready and take the dish out of the oven in time! A special meat thermometer can be used to check the readiness. If you do not have one, it is not difficult to calculate the cooking time, knowing the total weight of the leg: for each kilogram of meat it takes about 20-30 minutes, plus 20 minutes. That is, to cook a leg of lamb weighing 2 kg, you only need 1, 5 hours!
• Very important: after removing the meat from the oven, wrap it in foil and leave for 15-20 minutes. This will allow the meat juices to soak evenly throughout the bite. Cut the finished meat into thin slices. Place on top of potatoes. The dish is ready to serve!
