Description
A succulent leg of lamb coated with harissa and yogurt, slow-roasted to perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 1/2 – 6 1/2 lb leg of lamb, bone-in
- 10–12 fat garlic cloves
- 2 shallots, quartered
- 3–4 tablespoons Harissa Paste
- 2 tablespoons preserved lemons (or 1 tablespoon lemon zest)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (or 1 tablespoon dried)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup thick whole milk Greek yogurt, plain
Instructions
- Trim the fat off the leg if you prefer a leaner version – or leave some on for extra flavor. Score all sides of the leg 1/2 inch deep, 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart (crosshatch if you like), sprinkle generously with salt and bring to room temperature for at least 1 hour.
- Place garlic, shallot, Harissa paste, preserved lemon, salt, cumin, pepper, caraway seeds, thyme, and olive oil in a food processor and pulse until uniformly chopped. Add the yogurt and pulse a few times (don’t blend or it will get runny). Taste for heat, adding more harissa paste to taste.
- Place the lamb over a rack in a roasting pan (or over the veggies). Lift the bone end of the leg straight up and brush the underside of the leg with the Harissa Yogurt, getting into the slits and cuts as best you can. Lay it down over the rack, brush the remaining marinade over the top, getting into slits and lathering it up generously. Nestle in any roasting veggies you like (toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper first). You could brush any remaining marinade on the veggies if you like.
- Place the lamb in the lower third of the oven, loosely covered with a foil “tent” for one hour. Remove foil and check temperature. Because every oven is different, keep an eye on the roast after the first hour, checking every 20 minutes or so for over-browning. You can always re-tent with foil if getting too dark. A little color is good here, but you don’t want it to burn. (If you leave the fat on, you can always carefully brown using the broiler at the end to help crisp up that fat.)
- Pull it out, tent it again, and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting into it, allowing the juices to remain in the meat, which will help keep the meat tender.
Notes
- Adjust the spiciness by varying the amount of harissa used.
- You can serve this roast with a variety of sides, such as roasted vegetables or a fresh salad.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 120mg