Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 75 minutes
- 4½lb/ 2 kg leg of lamb, on the bone
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Heat the oven to 455°F/230°C/Gas 8
- Lay the leg of lamb on a chopping board with skin side up. Using a sharp knife make approx 20 tiny slits into and under the skin taking care not to cut into the meat. Slide a slice of garlic into each slit pushing it well under.
- Place the lamb, skin side up into a large roasting tin and rub the olive oil all over the surface using your hand. Sprinkle generously with sea salt.
- Place into the hot oven, uncovered for 55 minutes. The heat of the oven will cause the fat to melt and spit, there may also be some smoke but be assured this is quite normal.
- Remove the lamb from the oven, take care as the tin and the meat will be very hot and the fat may still be spitting. Completely wrap the lamb with 3 layers of aluminum foil and place back into a roasting tin.
- Then wrap the whole package with a thick blanket or I sometimes use several large, thick bath towels. Place the package somewhere warm but not hot and leave for 6 (for rare) or up to 8 hours (for medium rare to medium lamb). The lamb continues to cook slowly in its thick wrapping using the residual heat and steam from the meat, bone and roasting tin. As it cooks really slowly the lamb softens and releases lots of juices to use later for the gravy.
- After your chosen time, unwrap the lamb and remove it from the roasting tin. Carve the lamb and serve immediately onto hot plates with a little gravy and fresh seasonal vegetables.
Full Lamb in a Blanket Recipe, including gravy.
