Aromatic Roast Leg of Lamb
After a cover-to-cover reading of Fire and Smoke by Rich Harris (one of our favourite chefs), we were inspired to try this lamb dish. It uses a balanced blend of aromatic spices to offset the succulent rich-sweet flavour of the meat.
Aromatic Roast Leg of Lamb
After a cover-to-cover reading of Fire and Smoke by Rich Harris (one of our favourite chefs), we were inspired to try this lamb dish. It uses a balanced blend of aromatic spices to offset the succulent rich-sweet flavour of the meat.
- Serves: 6
- Prepare: 4 Hours 20 Minutes
- Cook: 2 Hours 10 Minutes
- Difficulty: easy
WHO ARE THE ORGANIC BUTCHERY?
Starting life as an organic farm in the heart of the West Country, The Organic Butchery is proudly founded on a long history of organic principles. We source the best quality organic grass-fed and wild meats, sustainable fish and organic free-range poultry from trusted local suppliers and like-minded brands to guarantee the highest standards of animal welfare and environmental stewardship. Our mission is to approach butchery with a whole-carcass perspective, to make the most of every animal that crosses our blocks, which means we offer you cuts that you will never see on the supermarket shelves.
WHAT IS ORGANIC LAMB?
All of our organic lamb comes from free-range animals born and reared in our lush, sustainable West Country pastures. Many lambs are grown quickly, fed on grain to ‘finish’ them at speed, we believe that it’s better for animals to grow at the rate nature intended and lead active lives.
Ingredients
- whole leg of organic lamb, bone-in
- 2tsp fennel seeds
- 2tsp cumin seeds
- 2tsp coriander seeds
- 1tsp chilli flakes
- 1tsp sweet paprika
- 1tsp salt
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 3tbsp olive oil
Method
- Heat a dry frying pan over a medium flame until hot. Add all of the whole spices and toast them for a few minutes until their aromatic oils are released. Be very careful not to let them burn.
- Remove the spices from the heat and grind them to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar. If you don’t have a pestle and mortar, you can use the back of a spoon to crush them.
- Add the chilli flakes, sweet paprika and sea salt, grinding until you have a smooth powder. Then add the garlic and ginger and pound everything to a rough paste.
- Combine the olive oil with the spices, giving everything a good mix.
- Pop your leg of lamb into a roasting dish and rub the paste over the skin, making sure it get into all the nooks and crannies and is evenly spread. Cover the leg with cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours – ideally overnight. This lets the flavours sink in.
- Remove the lamb from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to let it come to room temperature. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C fan.
- Roast the leg of lamb for 1 hour and 20 minutes. When it’s done, wrap it in foil and cover in a tea towel to let it rest for around 20 minutes before carving.
Other recipe ideas
07/12/20 Recipe
Organic whole rack of honeyed lamb with cider
Somerset the home of cider making, adds a perfect twist to any lamb recipe
07/05/19 Recipe
Roast Lamb Rump with Minted Peas and Lentils
Making an elegant but unfussy supper is simple with a versatile cut like organic lamb rump.
18/08/17 Recipe
Herbed Organic Shoulder of Lamb
Slow-cook your The Organic Butchery shoulder of lamb in herbs and honey for a deliciously fragrant Sunday roast
WHO ARE THE ORGANIC BUTCHERY?
Starting life as an organic farm in the heart of the West Country, The Organic Butchery is proudly founded on a long history of organic principles. We source the best quality organic grass-fed and wild meats, sustainable fish and organic free-range poultry from trusted local suppliers and like-minded brands to guarantee the highest standards of animal welfare and environmental stewardship. Our mission is to approach butchery with a whole-carcass perspective, to make the most of every animal that crosses our blocks, which means we offer you cuts that you will never see on the supermarket shelves.
WHAT IS ORGANIC LAMB?
All of our organic lamb comes from free-range animals born and reared in our lush, sustainable West Country pastures. Many lambs are grown quickly, fed on grain to ‘finish’ them at speed, we believe that it’s better for animals to grow at the rate nature intended and lead active lives.
Frequently asked questions
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A portion of grass fed lamb has a slightly higher calorie content than grass fed beef, but has more health promoting omega 3 fatty acids. Lamb also has less marbling of fat than beef and when you trim the fat around the edges after cooking, lamb is a lean cut of meat.
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Organic lamb has to be certified by an approved organic body to a number of set organic standards. These include the space that an organic lamb animal has to graze, the way that it’s food is grown, without the use of pesticides and or unapproved fertilisers. The standards for organic lamb also cover use of medicines and other points that improve the welfare and conditions throughout the life of the animal and on through slaughter and butchery.
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Organic lamb has been reared in an organic, high-welfare system and this is at the heart of what we do at Coombe Farm Organic. We believe that the meat produced by active, healthy animals is tangibly better than that which comes from intensive systems. Many lambs are grown quickly, fed on grain to 'finish' them at speed. We believe that it's better for animals to grow at the rate nature intended and lead active lives. This means that we don't slaughter our lambs until they're at least eight months old which means your organic lamb will have well-developed muscle with a natural, palatable covering of sweet fat.