When my children were young, leg of lamb was a rare treat. And they loved it. They would actually argue over who got to gnaw on the bone. Seriously! But lamb has never been an inexpensive protein. And even now, when it’s just the two of us, I think twice before plopping a package in my cart. I do it of course, but because neither legs or racks are available at our local grocery stores, we have to go out of our way to make a purchase. The good news, however, is that our very own IGA right here on Camano Island carries ground lamb in the frozen foods section. So, we can at least get our lamb fix that way. (And believe me, we do!) As a side note and before I go any further, let me recommend ground lamb as a wonderful change from simple ground beef patties. I add a bit of finely chopped onion and a scant tablespoon of Montreal Steak Seasoning to a pound of ground lamb, then fry the patties in a bit of olive oil. Absolutely delicious. And a slightly less expensive way to enjoy this tasty meat. But back to this post.

Yesterday I decided to do a little research before roasting the bone-in leg of lamb in my usual manner. Since I had been using the same method for about 50 years, I decided it might be nice to change things up a bit. So, I went on-line and found this recipe on the damndelicious.net site. It immediately took my fancy because it had all the ingredients I love to use with lamb. So, I changed a couple of ingredient amounts that I felt would better suit our tastes and proceeded from there. And I must say, the lamb was perfectly seasoned. And done to perfection. It could not have been tastier.

So, if you too love lamb, I suggest you give this recipe a try next time you get a hankering for a bone-in leg of lamb. If, however, you prefer boneless leg of lamb, let me recommend my Stuffed Boneless Leg of Lamb recipe.  It is truly sensational. But regardless, if you roast a bone-in or a bone-out leg, leftovers will be perfect for Lamb Ragù with Penne Pasta or Palócleves (Hungarian Lamb Soup with Sour Cream). So many choices, so little time! Oh, and if you want to know my original recipe for leg of lamb, it’s very simple. Make plenty of deep cuts into the meat and stuff them with slivers of garlic. Then slather the whole roast with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Then roast to desired doneness. (Still a really good way to roast lamb.)

Well, that’s about all for today. It’s Friday here on Camano Island and I feel like taking it easy. The heroin in the book I am currently reading is missing, after losing both her lover/best friend/life companion and her beloved dog on the same day 6 months prior. I simply can’t stand the suspense! I must get back and help the good folks (and hopefully not the bad guys) ferret out her location. And help her, if possible. (Perhaps I’ve been living a little too vicariously through the eyes of the characters in the books I’ve been reading. Perhaps I’ve been confined to quarters too long and need to get back into the real world again. Perhaps I’m feeling just like everyone else who is sick and tired of covid-19 and just wants it to GO AWAY! Perhaps!!)

But as always, peace and love to all.

3-4 lb. bone-in leg of lamb, trimmed of all fat

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper (quite a bit)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1½ tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves

Dry the leg of lamb with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, score* the top side of the lamb by making shallow cuts all over. (Think scoring a ham.)

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, and thyme together.

Place the lamb on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Slather the olive oil mixture all over the lamb, rubbing it thoroughly into the scored cuts. Pour water into the pan about ½-inch deep. (This prevents drippings from spattering all over the inside of your oven as the lamb roasts. If you don’t care, or you have a housekeeper who cleans your oven, just line the pan with aluminum foil and forget the water.)

Roast in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 60-75 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 135-140 degrees for medium-rare. Roast longer if you must, but don’t blame me if the meat resembles shoe leather! Remember: The instant-read thermometer should be inserted into the thickest part of the meat and not touching any bone.

When done, remove from oven and let rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Perfect served with Mushroom Risotto with Green Onions and Peas. (Recipe coming soon to your very own computer.)  

*Starting from one end close to the bottom, cut about ⅓ of an inch into the meat in a line. Repeat making lines 1″ apart. Turn the lamb and repeat diagonally from one side to the other.