Leg of Lamb Provençale

Leg of Lamb Provençale © kvalifood.com

Leg of Lamb Provençale is a South French-inspired oven roast with garlic and parsley pressed into the meat and potato slices in the roasting pan. The potatoes soak up all the pan juices and stock during the long roasting time and make the best side dish. Basting along the way keeps the meat moist.

Ingredients

Yields 4-6 servings

  • 1 leg of lamb, about 1 1/2 kg
  • salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 25 g butter (or margarine)
  • 1/2-3/4 kg potatoes
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 4 dl stock, preferably chicken stock, to taste

Accompaniment

  • watercress (optional)

Directions

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Finely chop the garlic and parsley and mix them together. Make deep slits all over the leg with a sharp knife and press the garlic-parsley mixture firmly into each slit. Rub the roast with salt and pepper.

Potatoes and roasting pan

Peel the potatoes and slice them thinly. Melt the butter in the roasting pan and arrange the potato slices in an even layer. Season with salt and pepper.

Roasting

Place the leg of lamb on top of the potato slices. Pour over the stock. Roast in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 1 1/4–1 1/2 hours. Baste with stock every 20–30 minutes and add more as needed so the potatoes don’t dry out. Let the roast rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Serving

Carve the leg into thin slices. Serve straight from the roasting pan with the juicy potatoes and watercress if you like.

Notes

  • Press the garlic and parsley deep into the slits — they distribute flavor through the whole piece during the long roasting
  • The potatoes soak up all the pan juices and stock and are a dish in their own right
  • Use chicken stock for a milder, more aromatic base than beef stock
  • Add fresh rosemary sprigs to the roasting pan for a more pronounced Provençal character
  • Internal temperature: 145°F (62–65°C) = pink, 160°F (70°C) = well done