It’s here, the highly requested Masala Roast Leg Of Lamb recipe you’ve all been waiting for! After conducting a poll on Instagram I asked you all what type of recipe you wanted, an Indian masala based roast or a more traditional English roast and the verdict came back loud and clear – Indian! So this is the recipe I have created for y’all!

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not an expert at cooking (I know many of you beg to differ but I don’t have any experience of working in a professional kitchen) and cooking a leg of lamb was a daunting prospect even for someone like me. I spent a lot of time researching methods and techniques to find out what would give me that ‘melt in the mouth’ lamb that I so often hear people refer to. I think my research paid off, I tested this recipe twice and on both occasions the results were good, amazing dare I say?

Here are some important points for you to note:

1. I would recommend buying leg with the bone in – although it may be slightly trickier to carve, bone in meat is much more flavoursome and it looks like a real showstopper when plated up! You also want to make sure that the leg of lamb you purchase has some fat around it, this not only helps the meat to remain moist, it adds flavour and you can use the drippings to roast potatoes afterwards.
2. Leg of lamb is an expensive cut of meat and usually reserved for special occasions so I want you to be able to cook this right the first time AND every time after that. The key to achieving the ‘melt in the mouth’ texture is to initially cook this at a high temperature and then lower the temperature – this ensures the outside cooks quickly and is ‘well done’ but the inside cooks slower and remains slightly pink.
3. ALWAYS rest the lamb after removing from the oven. Allow yourself time to let the leg of lamb rest for AT LEAST 20 minutes, preferably half an hour. This allows the juices to redistribute back into the meat instead of running out and over the platter as you carve the meat.
4. You want to cut the meat AGAINST the grain. On a boned leg of lamb this means you should cut straight down towards the bone. Do not cut at an angle or across as this will result in longer muscle fibres, meaning tougher chewier lamb.

You will need to adjust cooking times depending on how much your leg of lamb weighs. DON’T try to guess how long to cook the leg for – far too many people follow recipes without basic equipment such as scales, which is really frustrating as you can basically ruin what was going to be an amazing dish because a) you didn’t know how much the leg weighed and b) didn’t cook it for the correct time, so end up overcooking it. Ask your butcher to weigh your leg for you if you don’t have scales at home and cook it according to the timings in this recipe.

The very first time I tested this recipe I used a large leg of lamb that weighed 2.5 kg, for this particular recipe I used a smaller leg which weighed around 1.7 kg. I cooked the 2.5 kg leg for 1 hour, 30 minutes and it was perfect for us, well done on the outside and slightly pink in the middle. The smaller 1.5 kg leg I cooked for 1 hour, 10 minutes and it was also well done on the outside and pink in the middle. Depending on how ‘well done’ you want the lamb to be adjust these times; for more ‘well done’, increase the cooking time, if you want it more ‘rare’, reduce the cooking time.

The amounts in this recipe can be used for a leg of lamb weighing anywhere between 1.5 kg – 2.5 kg. A leg of lamb weighing 1.5 kg can serve between 4 – 6 people, depending on portion size. A larger 2.5 kg leg can serve between 6 – 8 people, again depending on portion size.

This leg of lamb goes really well with my Naga Gravy, click here for the recipe.

Without further ado, let’s get roasting!

You will need: for Masala Leg of Lamb

1 leg of lamb (weighing anywhere between 1.5 kg – 2.5 kg)
2 tbsp English mustard
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1.5 kg white potatoes
1 bulb of garlic
2 – 3 sprigs of rosemary
2 tsp salt (1 tsp for boiling, 1 tsp for roasting)
oil (as needed)

Method:

The leg of lamb you select should have a thin layer of fat around it; this not only adds flavour, it helps keep the meat moist and prevents it from drying out too much.

Measure your ingredients beforehand, this makes it easier to make the marinade; measure 1/2 tsp curry powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp dried mint, 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp salt.

You will also need 2 tbsp English mustard and 2 tbsp oil.

Start by using a very sharp knife to pierce holes into the leg. These holes will help some of the marinade we will be using on the leg to penetrate the meat.

Once you have inserted the knife, twist the knife round fully 360°. You want the holes to run deep into the meat, they wont be visible after cooking.

To make the marinade add 2 tbsp English mustard and 2 tbsp of oil to the dry spices you measured out earlier.

Mix to make a thick paste, if your paste seems too thick add a little more oil, it should be of a spreadable consistency.

Spread the marinade over the top and bottom of the leg. As you spread the marinade over the leg, try to push some into the holes you created earlier.

The leg will need to be refrigerated overnight or kept somewhere cool, this will allow the marinade to properly penetrate and flavour the meat.

Take the leg of lamb out of the fridge AT LEAST 1 hour (if not longer, I would suggest 2 hours if it’s stored at a very cold temperature) before you plan on roasting it. This is to ensure the leg comes to room temperature and cooks evenly. There is nothing worse than roasting a leg of lamb to find the inside of the leg is still cold after cooking.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 7 (220°C, 425°F). You want to roast the leg of lamb on a raised rack if possible, rather than on the roasting tray, this will promote even cooking and air circulation around the leg.

Place the leg of lamb to roast, uncovered, in the middle of the oven at gas mark 7 (220°C, 425°F) for 30 minutes initially, then lower to gas mark 6 (200°C, 392°F) for another 40 minutes, the total cooking time is 1 hour, 10 mins. This timing is for a leg weighing between 1.5kg and 2kg. For a leg weighing above 2 kg, cook for 1 hour, 30 mins. If you want your leg well done, brown all the way through, increase both of these cooking times.

Next bring to boil a large pan of water, add 1 tsp of salt. This will be used for parboiling the roast potatoes before adding them to the roasting tray.

While the leg roasts in the oven and the pot of water comes to a boil, you can prep the roast potatoes.

Peel and slice 1.5 kg of white potatoes. Cut medium sized potatoes into half and larger ones into 3 pieces as shown in the bottom left and right photos.

Once the water has come to a rolling boil (boiling rapidly), add the rinsed potatoes and boil for 10 minutes, the timer should start from when the potatoes are added to the boiling hot water. I use white potatoes as they are firm and don’t fall apart easily and this is how long I time them for, you may need to adjust the timings depending on the variety you use.

Meanwhile peel and halve one bulb of garlic and finely chop 2 – 3 sprigs of rosemary.

After 10 minutes drain the potatoes in a colander.

By now your leg of lamb should’ve cooked for 30 mins at gas mark 7 (220°C, 425°F). I remove the leg of lamb at this point (don’t forget to pause your timer if you are using one) and flip the leg over, this ensures the underside also cooks properly.

Remove the wire rack to add in the par boiled potatoes at this point.

Add the potatoes, sliced garlic, a drizzle of oil, 1 tsp salt….

….and the chopped rosemary.

Give everything a good mix, place the leg of lamb back over the potatoes, turn the oven down to gas mark 6 (200°C, 392°F) and roast for the remaining time. Restart your timer.

After the time is up remove the leg from the oven (bottom right photo), turn the right way up and allow the leg to rest for at least 20 mins, preferably 30 mins, before carving and serving. Lightly cover with foil to keep in heat and place near the oven to keep warm.

Check the potatoes, they should be cooked – if they’re not cooked completely return to the oven for another 10 – 15 minutes or until soft all the way through and crispy on the outside.

As mentioned in the intro, you’ll need to carve the leg of lamb against the grain, that means straight downwards towards the bone. Once you’ve carved the lamb into slices, go across to separate the meat from the bone.

What takes this recipe over the edge is this super easy Afelia’s Naga Gravy I concocted, something I KNOW you’re all going to love! Enjoy with your favourite sides and wait for the compliments to roll in.