Leg of Lamb Infused with Rosemary and Lemon

by cookingwithauntjuju.com

Oh my, just making the rub with all of these aromatic smells; garlic, fresh rosemary, lemon and cumin – this is one of the best rubs I have ever used!  This is another Weight Watcher’s recipe for any of you lamb lovers  who like to indulge in this flavorful meat every once in awhile.  My kitchen just smelled wonderful and the meat was just delicious.  I served it with my mint sauce which made it a “10”.

This is my contribution to the party hosted by Angie of The Novice Gardener and her two co-hosts, Margy @lapetitecasserole and Jhuls @ thenotsocreativecook.

Leg of Lamb Infused with Rosemary and Lemon

  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves, minced
  • 2 tbsp. lemon zest, grated
  • 1-1/2 tbsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. salt (lavender salt would be delicious)
  • 1 (3 lb) bone-in leg of lamb, trimmed
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 large red onion, thinly sliced

Stir together the first four ingredients in a small bowl.  Rub all over the lamb – the smell just drove me crazy!  Place lamb in a large plastic bag; add lemon juice and oil and turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove  lamb from the marinade and discard the marinade.  Place onion slices in a 6-quart slow cooker; add the leg of lamb.  Cover and cook until fork-tender, 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.  Allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.  Serve with the cooked red onions, roasted potatoes with rosemary, garlic and olive oil and a nice salad.

I cooked it for 4 hours and it was well done for me anyways.  Normally, I would have checked ahead of time to see how the lamb was cooking but I did not this time.  It was still very tender and absolutely delicious but I prefer my lamb medium.  I made my mint sauce to serve with it and that would be extra points.

WW Points Plus 5 for 4 slices of lamb and about 1/4 cup of onion mixture

Mint Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp. water
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup apple jelly
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped (I grow Kentucky Colonel Spearmint every year as I keep it in a pot – I do not want it growing wild in my garden)

Combine the first three ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced by one-third.  Add the apple jelly and heat thoroughly until the jelly melts.  You can reduce it more if you want a thicker sauce.  Just before serving, stir in the mint.

Roasting a Leg of Lamb:

As an alternative you can roast the lamb.  Use the rub above, marinate overnight or longer.  Remove from refrigerator 60 minutes before roasting.  Preheat the oven to 325°F and roast 20 minutes per pound for rare, 145°F; 30 minutes per pound for medium, 160°F; and 35 minutes per pound for well done, 170°F.  The time is approximate!

Lavender Salt: Combine 2 finely chopped tsp. of lavender buds with 1/2 cup fleur de sel or coarse salt

http://cookingwithauntjuju.com/2014/10/31/leg-of-lamb/  

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57 thoughts on “Leg of Lamb Infused with Rosemary and Lemon”

  2. ohhhhh my goodness me, this DEFINITELY looks like a 10 🙂 my greedy eyes literally cannot move away from these lovely pictures!!!

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  4. I thought I could smell roast lamb wafting through the air. Oh my, to die for! I love, love all the flavors going on, and you make your own mint jelly too! Great job! Bookmarked this for sure.

    Reply

  5. This lloks so delicious! I recently made Selma’s sublime lamb roast with a leg and will post it this weekend! Our FF friends will habpve lots of lamb recipes to choose from! Bet those potatoes were incredible too Does not seem possible it is a WW recipe!

    Reply

    • Thanks Johanne – I made a copy of Selma’s recipe to try later. The roasted potatoes went perfectly with the lamb. The recipe itself has only 2 tsp. of oil (all the fat) and the mint sauce is separate and you would have to add a few additional points. I just thought I would add it as the roast did need a little sauce and I still had fresh mint in my garden 🙂

      Reply

  9. Oooh Judi…. I am drooling! What a fabulous dish! I could lick that plate clean 😀 Thank you for sharing! I have to make this for a special occasion 🙂

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  12. This looks fantastic! I have been wanting to make lamb for a few weeks and I love your marinade and mint sauce too. I don’t use a slow cooker so do you think their is a way to get the same results without one? Yum.

    Reply

    • Sure, marinate in the rub overnight. Bring out of the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before cooking. Roast 20 minutes per pound for rare, 30 for medium and 35 for well-done. This is just an estimate. I like mine to still have a little pink in the meat or medium – good luck if you try it 🙂

      Reply

      • Thank you for getting back to me. I’ll let you know how it turns out. I have never roasted lamb before and appreciate your direction. 🙂

      • No problem – I forgot to give you the temps; 145°F for rare; 160°F for medium and 170°F for well done. I did add the recipe to my post as it is very simple to do it in the oven 🙂

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    • I know Chitra – I obviously eat just about anything and I do cook a lot of vegetarian dishes as well. I always feel I will not get the interest from my vegetarian bloggers so thanks for commenting 🙂

      Reply

  21. I have a rosemary allergy, but the pictures are stunning. The meal came together beautiful, and sounds like the perfect blend of flavors! Happy FF, and have a wonderful weekend!

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  22. Now that the cooler weather is here, I’ve been craving roasted lamb. Your recipe looks spectacular, Judi! It appears to be perfectly seasoned…I imagine the aromas in your kitchen were mmm, mmm good! Oh, how I wish this were in my oven right now. 😛

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  25. I thought I’d finished my dinner, and now the look of this lamb makes my stomach grumble. It looks most delicious. And I love the pairing with potatoes!!!!

    Reply

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