This dish is a showstopper for any special occasion. During the spring season though, this dish is at its peak. Marinated with a yogurt sauce that contains mint, orange, and garlic gives a bright finish to the perfect centerpiece for bonding over dinner with friends and family.
TYPE | MAIN COURSE |
SERVES | 8 |
DIFFICULTY | EASY |
PREP TIME | 15 MINUTES |
Ingredients
- 1- 5 to 6 lb. leg of lamb
- 2 tsps of salt
- Yogurt Marinade:
- 1 tsp of orange juice and the zest from one orange
- 1/2 cup Greek full fat yogurt if available (I also tested this 5% fat which was also really good)
- 1/4 cup of finely chopped mint
- 1 clove of garlic grated
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Make the yogurt sauce: In a large mixing bowl combine the orange zest, juice, yogurt, mint, and garlic. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Whisk to combine. Taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Let sit in the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to using to let the flavors combine.
- On a large surface, score the leg of lamb using a 6 inch Chef Knife. Once scored, season all over with 2 teaspoons of salt. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. When ready remove the yogurt sauce from the fridge and generously rub the sauce all around the leg of lamb. Place in the Stainless Steel 11 x 14-inch Roaster with rack and let sit at room temperature for up to 1 hour. This will allow the marinade to really get into the meat prior to cooking.
- When ready place the roaster in the oven. Check after about a half hour to make sure the surface of the leg is getting charred. If not this temperature should be good until the leg is cooked through. If it appears your leg is getting burnt, turn the heat down to 350.
- After 90 minutes the leg should be fully cooked. We recommend cooking this to an internal temperature of 125 degrees in the most center point of the meat. This is a medium rare temperature. If you prefer it rare you can cook to 120 degrees. We prefer not cooking further than this temperature as the meat will be overdone in our opinion and the flavor will be much different.
- When the meat is cooked to your desired doneness, let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing for the table.
Pro Tip
Scoring the meat prior to cooking helps let that yogurt marinade really penetrate into the meat. It also helps getting a nice crust on the top of the leg when roasting.
RECIPE BY
All-Clad Resident Chef Derek Finocchiaro
All-Clad’s Resident Chef Derek has been working with flavors and fragrance for his entire career. Finding a path from perfumery to food, Derek competed on numerous amateur cooking shows which led him to the All-Clad Test kitchen. Here he excels in creating new recipes, blogs, video demos, and food photography for our consumers.