Roast Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary

As the main course to our Christmas dinner this year, this leg of lamb was perfect. It is easy to make, though it was a bit time consuming and expensive.

Roasted Leg of Lamb
Tastier than it looks here
Celebration food!

Ingredients

• 1 small leg of lamb, about 6 - 7 lbs, trimmed of all visible fat *
  
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into 6 slivers each
• 1 bunch rosemary
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
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1. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 1 hour before starting.
2. Preheat oven to 350F.
3. Make 8 small slits in the lamb on each side, and place a sliver of garlic and a leaf of rosemary in each slit. Massage the olive oil into the meat, and season with salt and pepper.
4. If you have a rack, place the lamb on the rack on top of the remaining rosemary and garlic. If you don't, simply put the meat on top of the rosemary and garlic in a roasting pan.
   
5. Cook uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted away from the bone registers 125F. Remove the lamb from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Serves 6 - 8.

* Make sure you leave ample time to trim the fat from the lamb as it is a hefty job and takes longer than you think it might.

Recipe from Ruth Reichl's book Garlic and Sapphires.