If you love food, wine and long lunches with friends, then come on in!! Today I’m opening the doors to my humble home and inviting you into my Sunday Roast Lamb Lunch with my friends. Take a peek behind the scenes, share some laughter, admire my gorgeous friends and ridiculously cute off spring, see my Baby Hands in action.
At the centre of it all, the pride and joy of my lunch – a classic Aussie Roast Lamb Leg with a flavour packed gravy. It’s Lambalicious!!
2 1/2 years ago, I was what I call “internet shy”. I tried to avoid having an internet presence. I had Facebook but rarely used it. I never left messages on blogs even if I tried and loved a recipe. I didn’t know what Pinterest or Instagram were. Twitter baffled me (it still does).
How things have changed! As I’ve continued down this path that has become my full time job, it became impossible not to open up. Because I love to cook to share with other people. Whether it’s sharing the food I make, or sharing the recipes I love here on RecipeTin Eats. And my very favourite foods always have some connection with my life. So by sharing my food, I have to share my life. 🙂
So today, I’m doing something pretty special that I’ve never done before. I’m opening up my home and inviting my readers inside to join my Sunday Roast Lamb Lunch with my fabulous friends. ❤️
It was supposed to be a Spring Lamb lunch out on my deck but unfortunately the weather wasn’t behaving ☔️ ☔️☔️ so at the last minute I had to drag everything indoors. 😭 It was a bit of a squish, but we made it happen!
I’m not really one for delicate table decorations and I don’t have a flourishing flower garden either. Plus, my fold up tables are pretty narrow…..so I thought I’d try my hand at doing edible table centrepieces using grapes with a few flowers stuck in there to make them a bit pretty. Weird or practical?? 🤷🏻♀️
You know how people say that dogs look like their owners? Well, I’ve always said that Dozer and I are the exception. I mean, we couldn’t be more different – my jet black hair and his golden fur.
But when I lined these two photos up next to each other, I suddenly saw it. The resemblance is uncanny!!!
When it comes to a centrepiece for a gathering, there is nothing more Aussie than a Roast Lamb Leg – especially on a Sunday! Aussies love their lamb, and even though I have a huge soft spot for Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder, when it comes to tradition, you can’t beat a lamb leg.
And if you want a crazy tender, crazy juicy, incredibly flavourful perfectly cooked roast lamb leg, there are just two very simple rules:
-
Get the best quality lamb you can afford. It is worth every penny!
-
Get a meat thermometer. Yes there are schmancy ones out there that cost over $100. Mine cost $5 from Ebay and I’ve had it for years and years, and it’s never failed me.
Which is why I am smiling in the photo above rather than being a stressed out wreck like contestants on cooking shows (letting them use meat thermometers would take way too much drama out of the shows). 😉
Look at how crazy juicy this lamb is! It was squirting juicy everywhere!! (PS You know full well those are not my hands carving up the lamb).
And what sort of Roast Lamb Leg would it be without gravy?? I like to add extra flavour into mine by roasting the lamb on garlic, then I squish the juices out as I make the gravy. I know straining makes for messy cleaning up, but it is SO worth it to make the gravy silky smooth!
I said I was opening up my home to readers, and there’s only so much I can show in a handful of photos so I’ve made a little video! Welcome to my Sunday Roast Lamb Lunch!
The great Aussie Roast Lamb Leg tradition. Friends. Family. Good food, wine and laughter.
I hope seeing how much fun I had with my friends at my Sunday Roast Lamb Lunch inspires you to have roast lamb soon! – Nagi x
PS When my mother saw these photos and saw the elderly couple in the photos, she was rather indignant, thinking I had invited my friend Ali’s parents. I had to calmly explain to her that they were Ali’s in-laws who were in town from Tassie, and that it would be impolite to not invite them because I had met them before. She kind of humph’d, and was only placated when I sent her home with an assortment of leftovers!!!
PS Getting up close and personal so you can see how ridiculously juicy this is! This lamb was cooked around 3 hours ago and it was still warm and juicy inside.
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Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy
Ingredients
- 2.25 kg / 4.5lb lamb leg, bone in
Rub
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped*
- 3 garlic cloves, minced*
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Base
- 2 whole heads of garlic, halved horizontally (Note 1)
- Few sprigs rosemary *
Gravy
- 4 tbsp / 50g flour
- 2 1/2 cups / 625 ml beef broth / stock (Note 2)
Instructions
- Take lamb out of fridge at least 1 hour before roasting. (Note 2)
- Rub: Combine rosemary, garlic and olive oil. Mix and set aside for 20 minutes+.
- Preheat oven to 220C/430F (fan forced / convection) (Note 3) with oven shelf in the middle.
- Place garlic cut side up in a roasting pan. Toss in rosemary sprigs.
- Turn the lamb over so the underside is facing up. Pour half the Rub on, add a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Rub all over.
- Transfer into roasting pan, placing it on the garlic to elevate the lamb. Rub remaining rub + salt and pepper over lamb.
- Roast lamb for 20 minutes then turn down to 180C/350F (fan forced/convection) (Note 4). Roast for 1 hour - total of 1 hr 20 minutes.
- Remove lamb from oven. The internal temperature should be 55 - 60C/131 - 140F for medium rare (pictured). This will rise to 61 - 65C / 142 - 151F after resting. See notes for cook times - Note 5.
- Transfer lamb to plate, cover with foil and rest for 20 - 30 minutes.
- Make gravy straight away while roasting pan is hot.
Gravy
- Remove rosemary sprigs. You should have around 4 - 5 tbsp of fat. If less, add butter. If much more, discard a bit.
- Place roasting pan on stove over medium heat. When the fat starts to bubble, then add flour. Mix flour in and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in half the beef stock and mix to dissolve sludge in, then add remaining beef stock and mix.
- Use a potato masher (if you're really keen like me) to mush the garlic to squeeze out the flavour.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Simmer for a couple of minutes, stirring, until it starts to thicken. Take it off the stove BEFORE the gravy is the thickness you want because it will keep thickening.
- Strain into a bowl, mushing garlic to squeeze all the liquid out. Then pour into gravy boat.
Serving
- Serve lamb with gravy on the side, peas and Truly Crunchy Roast Potatoes. (Note 6)
Recipe Notes:
Medium rare (blush pink inside, as pictured): Temp out of oven 55-60C/131-140F. This will rise to 61-65C / 142-151F after resting.
Medium (barest hint of pink inside): out oven: 60–66°C, after resting: 66–70°C
Well done (least juicy, no pink at all): out of oven: 67–71°C, after resting: 71–75°C COOK TIMES - refer to the table below the recipe. I highly recommend getting a meat thermometer for accuracy - only guaranteed way to get juicy lamb every time! 6. The lamb leg will stay warm for up to 1 hour. The inside is still warm even after 3 hours. For my Sunday Roast Lunch, I roasted the lamb legs separately before my guests arrived, and the first lamb leg was still warm inside when I served it at 1.30 (I took it out of the oven at 10.30 am). The crust wasn't that warm, but it didn't really matter because even if the lamb leg was hot, once sliced thin and served, the slices lose heat quickly. The warmth comes from the gravy! So if you want roast veggies or Truly Crunchy Roast Potatoes, it's fine to make them while the lamb is resting. I don't recommend roasting at the same time in separate roasting pans because it will reduce the heat of the oven and you'll end up compromising both the veggies AND lamb. And if you roast the lamb ON veggies, then you won't have enough drippings for gravy. 7. Servings: A 2.25 kg lamb serves 6 very generously and 8 comfortably. The bone is around 400 - 500g, leaving around 1.8kg of meat. This shrinks to around 1.5 kg after cooking. 250g lamb per person for 6 / ~200g for 8 is sufficient - remember the lamb is sliced so it makes it seem like there is more! 8. Nutrition per serving, assuming 8 servings and that all the gravy is consumed.
Nutrition Information:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Cooking Video! So you can see how simple this is to make! 🙂
ROAST LAMB COOK TIMES
MORE ROAST LAMB
Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy – The most succulent lamb leg you’ll ever have!
Slow Roasted Greek Lamb Leg – Amazing lemon and garlic flavours in this super tender lamb!
Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder – My favourite cut of lamb for roasting! Super tender, incredible flavour, and so forgiving!
LIFE OF DOZER
DOZER. Don’t breathe your stinky dog breath over my friends while they eat!
Disclosure: All this Lambaliciousness (that’s a word, right??) is brought to you courtesy of We Love Our Lamb. For more delicious lamb recipes, head over to We Love Our Lamb!
And remember: EVERY day is a good day for lamb!!
MORE LAMB GOODNESS
Slow Roasted GREEK Lamb Leg – fall apart goodness!
Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder – more fall apart goodness!!
PS Photos of my Sunday Roast Lamb Lunch were taken by Matt Kelson Photography. Can’t cook / host / bat Dozer away from food / stop Dozer from stealing food from small people and take photos at the same time, especially when I’m IN the photos!!!! ❤️
Winter Greetings from Cairns Nagi,
Mid afternoon here and a chilly 24 degrees .. Time to put the Greek Style Slow Cooked Lamb in the oven to give the Boss Lady and a couple of friends a cool evening treat!
Thank you .. You’re my ‘Go To”
best recipe girl!
Charles.
Nagi, for years since Mum passed I have been trying to recreate even a small comparable to her Sunday lamb roasts for myself and my father.
Numerous times I tried and numerous times it just didn’t compare.
I found your recipe here and I have to say it’s as close as I have gotten it!!
I can’t thank you enough…
A few tweaks to refine it towards my oven and cooking style etc but near perfect already!!
THANK YOU!!
Oh that’s lovely to hear Gareth!!! ❤️❤️❤️ N x
Hi Nagi, Another fabulous recipe, I used carrots also to give the height as only had one head of garlic but still squidged/sieved for the gravy. It was delicious. I like your cooking time instructions, always perfect. Thanks.
Made this today was lovely what can I make with leftovers
Many thanks
Gillian
Hi Gillian, you can slice ti up and use it in kebabs – one of my favourite ways to use up left over lamb! N x
Be Italian, we would use a boning knife to pierce the leg of lamb & place a half clove of garlic (sliced lengthwise) in the in resulting space. We would repeat this 10 times or so all over the leg of lamb. As a teenager, that was my job. It gave a lovely galic flavor to the meat.
I’ve always thought of roasting a leg of lamb as being some mysterious process reserved for the elite chef class! Following your detailed instructions, I made this two nights ago, and the results were delicious, and it was also quite simple. It was so yummy that my friends asked me to do it again tonight for a birthday party! I didn’t really change anything, except I added some mustard powder and Thyme to the rub, and included carrots with the potatoes for the roasted veggies. I always enjoy your recipes. I find them to be detailed and simple, but most of all, always tasty! Thanks.
6.75lb leg of lamb want to roast
want to cook a 6.75lb whole leg with bone the oven settings in f
The lamb and gravy taste so good! Lamb is juicy and not overcooked, thanks to the cooking times guide.
I love all your recipes. They are so detailed yet easy to follow. Great for a novice cook like me.
I don’t understand how people think roasting lamb & other meats is so difficult. The way you explain everything makes the job so enjoyable, easy to cook and absolutely delish.
I don’t use an internal thermometer but rely on the timings you provide and it was perfect. A beautiful blushing pink.
Loved the gravy with the hint of garlic running through.
Good on ya Nagi.
Hi Nagi, I am planning this for my Christmas dinner. Unfortunately the smallest leg of lamb I was able to find was 9lbs! How should I adjust the cooking time for medium cooked – 2 hours? I will also double the quantity of the ingredients. Thanks so much!!!
Is that a lamb leg – are you sure?! 😂 You’re probably going to be roasting for 2 – 2hours 20, definitely make sure you have a meat thermometer on hand to check the temps to get the desired done-ness as per the notes.
Hi Nagi. I’m planning to do this for Christmas. Do we need to trim the fat before roasting? Pros and Cons if any bout fat trimming please. Thanks again for the lovely recipe and video
Hi Nagi, as always love your recipes really flavorful. I thought you might get a laugh out of this, when I see your picture at the top of the page I caught myself saying hellllo Nagi. So as I use a lot of your recipes for the flavour, just know you are getting lots of hello’s in this covid season from a. Irish person living in Canada. Once again thank you for the recipes. Caroline
Spot on as usual, I´m kind of blaming you that I have turned into a serial gravy drinker but I can´t help my self, the lamb gravy´s that I´ve made from your recepis are just too nice not to have a sneaky slurp. There was enough lamb left over to make a curry out of it that we had last night, thanks Nagi x
How good is it Rakel!!! You’re not the only gravy drinker around here… 🤫 N x
Nagi, Rakel, I like food on my gravy, the crunch of the roast potato with the soft center melted with gravy and a slice of lamb. I’m starving ;lol
Thanks for another perfect recipe. I have been slow roasting my lamb for the last 5 years. Hubby came home with a lamb leg instead of chicken and I needed to remember how to roast a lamb quickly. Totally delicious and I love the crust the garlic and rosemary make. Thanks again, you are always my go to when I am looking for a recipe
That’s great to hear Rachael, thanks so much for the feedback ❤️ N x
I tried this recipe it’s super easy and the sauce was amazing!
Love it!
That’s great to hear Maggie! N x
THE BEST ROAST POTATOES EVA!!! Seriously amazing, the only type I’ll ever make again.
Er, i checked on a couple of other websites’ duration calculators and they all state that 175m, or 2h 55m, is suitable for cooking lamb, and we dont have a mewt thermometer so I was a little concerned that it would be far too undercooked, enough for food poisoning. I was wondering which time is better and if 1h 40m would be enough for 3kg of lamb leg (split in two). Thank you for the recipe
My husband made this last night for our Canadian Thanksgiving dinner.
It was FANTASTIC. My mom couldn’t stop raving about how delicious it was, and everyone went back for seconds. So much for leftovers 😂
Wahoo, perfect Courtney – N x