Roast Lamb Recipe with Braised Garlic/Thyme Sauce

Roasted leg of lamb has become our Christmas dinner tradition. I've tried several recipes over the years, but haven't found anything that comes close to being as good as this one. I got it out of the "Complete Entertaining Cookbook". It is simple and requires minimal ingredients, which is always a plus. I prepare it Christmas Eve so it is ready to roast on Christmas Day, making my job easier.

Roast Lamb Recipe with Braised Garlic/Thyme:

1 leg of lamb (I prefer boneless), around 5 lbs

4 cloves of garlic thinly sliced

Thyme sprigs cut into 1/2 in pieces

salt and pepper

The day before I plan on cooking the roast, I slice slits all throughout the roast and alternately stuff garlic slivers and thyme sprigs, about every square inch or two along the top and sides of the roast. I cover and let it sit approx 24 hours.

When it is time to cook the roast, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and sprinkle roast generously with salt and pepper, including the sides and the bottom. Place uncovered in roasting pan. I use a meat thermometer and take the roast out when it registers 130 degrees F, approx 1 & 3/4 hours. The middle will be rare and the ends medium, just the way we like! 

For Sauce:

two cups beef stock or broth

2 to 3 heads of garlic, cloves separated and peeled

3 or 4 fresh thyme springs

1 cup dry sherry

1 bay leaf

1 Tbl sucanat or brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

While lamb is cooking, heat the above ingredients to a boil and then let it simmer, uncovered for an hour. The flavor should be strong. When done, discard thyme sprigs.

When lamb is done, take it out of oven, let sit 10 minutes with some tin foil loosely covering it. Then carve into slices, pour sauce over sliced lamb and put the rest of the sauce in individual dipping bowls, making sure to serve several cloves of the braised garlic in each bowl. 

Serve the lamb with some herbed mashed potatoes and a green salad and you got yourself a wonderful meal that even people who don't like lamb will love ;)

From My Kitchen to Yours,

Jackie